Fate Eternal Tears
by Kamen Rider Chrome
Summary: Co-Written with Ten-Faced Paladin. This is the story of when the Holy Grail War ends up taking place in Hinamizawa. Prepare for familiar characters becoming Masters and new Servants emerging. The game has begun. Let the Holy Grail War begin!
1. Chapter Zero

**FATE/ETERNAL TEARS**

**Chapter Zero: The Summoning**

The shard had floated through the Multiverse, never really impacting on a specific world like the other shards had. Unlike the others, this one had simply had the luck of not hitting anything after its whole shattered and simply slowly lost momentum over time. It had come close to many worlds and absorbed information from them. Some worlds were nice, filled with pretty and cute things which would make hearts flutter. Other worlds were mean and scary worlds that could give nightmares. Lots of worlds though were somewhere in between the two. Absorbing so much information from each world, the shard developed a kind of sentience. With that limited sentience, it understood that the lack of action happening was not a favoured form of stimulation. So, it decreed that it would go find a world where such positive stimulation could be found.

It looked over the next few worlds and after some small consideration it decided on one world in particular. For some reason, it seemed like a good world to go to. So it changed its course and headed towards that area. It quickly pierced the dimensional membrane which separated the worlds and entered the world and descended towards an area which seemed to call out to it. It seemed like a small, out-of-the-way place yet it was steeped in ancient power. It seemed like a nice place to hide.

* * *

><p>The fragment hadn't gone unnoticed by those who knew where to look. It was a mainly empty room which they met in with only a single table for them to pay attention to aside from each other. However, the table was far from normal. It was a game table which allowed the players to look down at the real world and play games with real people by their own whims. The first was a woman in a black dress who wore her dark blonde hair tied back in a bun. She was beautiful, but she held an aura of malice that would terrify all but the most hardened of people. A pipe was held in her fingers as she clenched her teeth around the end of it, looking down at the game table as if an opponent had played a particularly annoying move. Her name was Beatrice the Golden Witch. She was a woman whose life and power spanned centuries and had done numerous terrible things. She had gotten married recently to a man who was her opponent in a different game, which was a shocking move to all that knew her. However, it seemed to be good for her since she didn't seem as cruel as she used to be. Of course she would complain about him, but the smile in her eyes never seemed to go away.<p>

The second at the table was a woman dressed in a black and white gothic outfit. She had long blue hair and eyes which seemed to go on into infinity. Her face was blank despite how cute it was, but her eyes spoke of concern and confusion. What was odd about her was the cat tail with a blue ribbon tied to the end coming out from under her dress. She was resting her chin in her hand as she stared at the game board, contemplating what to do next. Her name was Bernkastel the Witch of Miracles. She possessed a power which could transcend fate, but at the price of her heart. She could be cruel, and often was if for no other reason than to preserve her heart, but her kindness could be seen now and then.

Third was a blonde girl dressed in a shockingly pink outfit decorated all over with pearls and ribbons. On her hip was a jack-o-lantern decoration which gave her a slightly creepy vibe. Her hair reached to her shoulders and she had red eyes. Unlike the two before her, she seemed most interested in what was going on with the game board and seemed excited to see what was going to happen next. Her name was Lambdadelta, the Witch of Certainty. Like the other two, she was cruel and often was for amusement. She considered Bernkastel to be her rival, but she also loved her at the same time. It was a complicated relationship that the two shared.

The fourth woman in the room was appearance-wise older than the other three. She had long silvery hair and wore a black dress which made her look quite classy. She also wore a black hat which was decorated with crimson roses. Her eyes were closed, but one could tell that she was staring at the game board and an open frown was on her face. Her name was Virgilia and she used to be the Endless Witch before she handed the title over to Beatrice. She was still immensely powerful and was not to be trifled with. Unlike the other witches, Virgilia was very kind and had hoped to impart that mindset to her students but failed.

Lastly was the lone man in the room who stood at the front of the game board in the position of a game master. He wore a loud suit which consisted of a green overcoat, striped pants, a polka-dot tie, and a top hat on the top of his head. Short messy blonde hair was visible from beneath the hat and he had a hooked nose which stood out. He didn't look like a person who would be there, but the witches knew better than to mess with him outside of a joke. He was the Infernal Merchant, a being who could give you anything you wanted for an appropriate price. He was the Game Master over the latest game between the four witches and they played by his rules and they knew it. Now something new had happened.

"What is the meaning of this, Merchant?" asked Virgilia with a frown. "You know how dangerous those fragments are."

"Yeah!" Beatrice snapped. "We busted our asses to make sure none of them landed in our world and you just bring one in!"

"This is going to be fu~un," Lambdadelta giggled.

"Hm," Bernkastel frowned.

"Ladies, trust me," Topper grinned with a salesman's smile. "Consider this…a bonus round."

* * *

><p>"Hyah!"<p>

Showa unleashed a punch with collided with the Darkling's face, knocking it back. The Kamen Rider of Hinamizawa was battling a small group of Darklings which had crawled their way out of the darkness to make an attack on Hinamizawa. Thankfully the Rider was able to spot them during his patrol and quickly went to fight them before they could evolve into Darkloids and cause even more trouble or worse, spread the Hinamizawa Syndrome even further. Normally fighting a small group of the dark creatures would be quite easy for him…but something was wrong.

Since the fight began, Showa was feeling himself grow steadily weaker. At first he just assumed it was from fighting so much lately. After the destruction of GIN-SHOCKER it seemed that the Darkloids were starting to get more aggressive. As the fight progressed though, he was feeling as if he was being attacked by Scanner who was draining his powers again. Soon he was panting, missing openings to attack, and taking more hits.

What was going on?

"RAWR!"

The Darklings charged as a group and crashed against Showa, sending him tumbling across the grass from the impact. Coming to a stop, his Spark Core flashed before his armour vanished and left him in his regular form of Shinichi Banabara.

"Crap…" he groaned, getting to his knees. Panting, he looked up at the approaching Darklings and grimaced at them. "Rena-can…"

The Darklings approach continued, but they didn't notice as the moonlight began reflecting on something in the grass surrounding the boy. It grew brighter as more moonlight shone until it looked like a circle array had surrounded him. The soft silver light didn't stop the Darklings as they approached.

The pillar of light that came from it sure did though.

Shinichi covered his eyes and tried not to go blind from the power. Squinting, he was able to see a human figure appear in the middle of it all, formed by the light itself. The light continued until the figure was fully formed and then winked out, revealing who it was.

The figure turned out to be a woman and an attractive one. She had long red hair which reached down to her backside. She wore a bright red coat like something a Romantic era officer would wear on a ship with a large leather belt wrapped around her waist. However, the top of her coat was unbuttoned which revealed a lot of cleavage and the fact that she likely wasn't wearing a top beneath the jacket. Leather was wrapped around her neck and vanished into her coat, indicating that she had weapons under her jacket. She had tanned pants and high-heeled boots which went up to her thighs. Her face was pretty, but she showed a lot of confidence and there was a scar which went across it from the middle of her forehead down to her left cheek. The scar didn't mar her beauty one bit.

Even though he was with his Rena-chan, the love of his life and in the midst of a deadly situation, Shinichi couldn't help but stare at the hot woman.

"Hm," the woman smirked, eyeing the Darklings. "Seems we're fighting right off then? How fun."

"Wait…" Shinichi grimaced. "You can't…"

The woman didn't listen as she reached into her coat with both hands and removed them to reveal a pair of pistols which looked like they came out of the Elizabethan era. Holding them up, she began shooting the iron balls out of the muzzles at the approaching skeletal monsters. Each shot hit true and made a small flash like magnesium burning, causing the Darklings to scream and stumble backwards from the impacts. The sight caused Shinichi to freeze. Normal bullets would never have stood a chance against even Darklings. Just who was this woman?

The redhead continued to approach the monsters, shooting them up as she went. When a bullet struck a limb, the body part would shatter, crippling the Darkling while headhsots would make their craniums explode like firecrackers. Despite the carnage, she just kept calmly walking towards them as if nothing was happening and she wasn't killing creatures capable of spreading a disease which drove people insane. Shinichi himself was shocked, and a little turned on to be honest.

Reaching the first of the corpses, the woman finally lowered her pistols and saw that all of the Darklings were either dead or dust. A soft smirked came across her lips in satisfaction before she turned around and began heading back towards Shinichi with a calm stride. While she was walking, a Darkling hissed and managed to get up to its shambling feet before charging at the woman from behind.

"Look out-!" Shinichi cried, trying to get to his feet.

*BANG!*

The woman didn't even break her stride as she turned her right pistol around to point it behind her and pulled the trigger without looking. The bullet struck the Darkling between the eyes and made its head explode in ash with the rest of its body dissolve with it. Shinichi blinked at the sight, honestly impressed that a normal-looking person was able to take on the Darklings and win. There had to be something more to the woman than what she appeared.

Reaching Shinichi again, the woman took a kneeling position in front of him, and incidentally offered a fine view of her chest. He had almost missed her next words because of the distraction and his weakened state of mind.

"Servant Rider has been called," she whispered, her voice teasing and sexy. "Are you my Master?"

"Uh…"

* * *

><p>Akane Sonozaki sighed as she left the clinic in Okinomiya. She had been feeling tired all day, like something was sapping the strength out of her. She would have gone to see Dr. Irie at his clinic, but her husband had been worried and asked her to go to the clinic in the nearby town in order to have access to better medical equipment. It was moments like that which made Akane smile. A yakuza man he may have been, but he was a good father and husband despite his activities.<p>

Walking along the sidewalk, she stifled a yawn as she went to get to her transportation. She had told her bodyguards to relax and get coffee or something to pass the time while she was speaking to the doctor. Only one guard had been there and he was busy getting the final details with the doctor done with. It was her own little way of getting a little bit of freedom outside of the Sonozaki estate. Oh her husband would fuss over her if she heard and if her mother heard she'd chew her out as she always did.

Walking, Akane suddenly felt woozy and held herself against the side of a building for a moment to get her balance back. As she had her eyes closed and was rubbing her face, she didn't notice a flash of light coming from the nearby alley and the surge of commotion she only attributed to a sudden gust of wind. It wasn't until after the light died that she managed to get her balance back and none the wiser for what had occurred. She felt a little better though.

"WAUGH!"

She did notice the scream though.

Slipping her tanto our of her kimono sleeve by reflex, she inched towards the alley the scream came from. Reaching the edge, she took a breath before daring to peek inside. She had been expecting to see perhaps some thugs beating up on one another or something to that extent. What she got was something radically different.

Standing in the middle of the alley was a young girl. She looked to be perhaps twelve or thirteen and was deathly pale. She had short hair which was shock white and her eyes were a pale blue. Her clothes though were much more shocking. She had thigh high boots with purple toes, but she didn't wear any pants and instead something akin to black bikini bottoms. Her chest was covered with a black jacket-like bit of clothing that had tails which covered her barely-clad derriere. She had red circles on her shoulders and belts decorating her arms with white bandages covering her hands. She was merely standing there, looking absently about.

Akane was shocked that a little girl was wearing something so scandalous and while she was raised traditionally, she knew no normal girl wear clothes like that.

"Little girl?" Akane asked softly, sheathing her tanto. The pale girl turned to look at her, almost curious. "Little girl, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"…no," the replied softly, shaking her head.

"Where are your parents?" asked Akane, approaching the young girl and kneeling down in front of her. "Are you by yourself?"

"…yes," the pale girl nodded.

Akane bit her lip. If the girl was by herself and was dressed like a prostitute then likely some sick pervert was taking advantage of her. The moral thing to do was try to find a way to help the poor girl, but Akane's mother would just say to ignore the girl since it was below a Sonozaki's concern. However, Akane was not her mother and she took pride in that.

"Would you…like to come home with me?" the verdette asked hopefully.

The girl blinked and for once seemed totally alert to Akane's presence, "…will you be my mother?"

That statement just made Akane want to cry and hug the poor girl. Instead, she gently took the girl's hands and squeezed them reassuringly, "I don't see why not."

The girl blinked but then she smiled softly. Stepping forward, she hugged Akane tightly. It was heart-warming, but Akane still had to resist the urge not to cry out of sorrow for the girl. Once the girl had a moment to enjoy the embrace, she stepped back to keep smiling at the woman. Akane removed her shawl from her shoulders and wrapped it around the girl as to try and keep her warm as well as protect a little more of her modesty, "What's your name?"

"…Assassin," the pale girl answered, making Akane blink. Was that a nickname that horrible pervert called her? "…you can call me…Jackie…please."

"Okay Jackie-chan," Akane smiled. "Let's go home then. There's a hot bath and a warm bed waiting for you."

Assassin smiled and took Akane's hand before the pair left the alley. As they left though, a dumpster which was likewise in the alley was developing a puddle underneath it from a hole in the bottom. Normally it would have been thought to have been from a soda or something was dumped inside. However, the deep red colour and the copper smell would tell otherwise. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be until several days later when garbage would be collected that anyone would notice that there had been a murder and a particularly gruesome one at that.

* * *

><p>"Nii-nii, you're not feeling good! You should go see Dr. Irie!"<p>

"Satoko, I'm fine! Honest," Satoshi sighed, rubbing his eyes drowsily.

"Satoshi-kun, you've been drowsy all day and have been steadily getting worse," Shion frowned. "If you aren't going to Dr. Irie then at least go to bed."

The three were at the Houjou house where the three were cleaning things up. With Satoshi and Satoko's uncle in jail and likely to be there for a good and long time, the two didn't have a reason not to go back. Despite the bad memories connected to the house they were determined to give it a face lift and make some new memories.

"But…" Satoshi groaned.

"If you do," Shion whispered, leaning close, "I'll go with you."

Satoshi blinked before his eyes bulged at the thought. Shion, while generally the more soft-spoken of the two Sonozaki sisters, had a sensual streak which she kept hidden until she managed to get Satoshi by himself. She would tease him like a professional but it was so, so worth it.

"Well…I suppose I can't win against you two," Satoshi sighed, sounding like a reluctant defeat.

"Excellent," Shion smiled before she turned to smile at Satoko. "Satoko-chan, if you want to go do something else I'll take care of Satoshi-kun while he's getting some rest. I'll even make dinner tonight."

"Okay, Nee-nee," Satoko beamed. "Just make sure than Nii-nii gets his rest or I'll have to make a trap to keep him in bed."

"I will," Shion nodded. "Now then, let's-"

*WHOOM*

A sudden vibration rocked the house and all three of the inhabitants froze. Having long since become accustomed to strange or bizarre things happening out of the blue, they quickly recovered themselves and began to move. Normal people would have tried to run from something like this happening, but they were the curious types and it had managed to save their hometown from a psychotic nurse and her goon squad. So the three had instead began racing for the source of the commotion which had come from outside and had engulfed their windows in bright light. They quickly reached the front door with Satoshi grabbing his baseball bat from nearby.

"Stay back," Satoshi whispered before he reached to the door handle. Gripping it, he then opened the door to try and examine what was going on outside.

Everything outside still looked completely normal. However, it had one new addition in the form of a man standing still and what seemed like writing inside a book with a feather quill. He was dressed in green clothes which looked like they came out of the Elizabethan era and also had a deep green cloak hanging from his one shoulder. He wore brown gloves, but they were stained slightly with ink. He looked western and had brown hair which was short and somewhat untamed which had sideburns that connected to a beard which covered his chin.

"Hey! Who are you, mister?" Satoko demanded hotly.

"Hm?" the man blinked, turning to look at the trio. "Ah, so the master has arrived has he? Excellent timing. I was just about to begin my next work."

"Huh?" Satoshi blinked. "Next work? Just who the heck are you?"

"My name is Caster," the man replied, sticking his quill onto his jacket and shutting his book. He then took a few steps to get closer to the trio before he made a grand bow as if he were on a stage. "And I am your very humble Servant."

"Servant?" Shion blinked.

"Indeed," the man nodded. Standing straight, he examined the trio before stroking his beard as if in thought. "I must say that it is fortuitous that not only master, but his companions appear to be such strong protagonists. This could indeed be the start of my grandest work yet!"

"Huh?" the trio blinked as one.

* * *

><p>Rika yawned a little as she swept the steps at the front of the shrine. She'd been feeling a little sleepy all day and it made her wonder if she wasn't getting enough sleep lately. Well, Mion had been pushing them a lot in their games since she was still celebrating the defeat of GIN-SHOCKER. Well, that and wanting to beat Shinichi at some more games if she could manage it. Things had been getting wild for lack of a better term.<p>

"Au, au, au!" Hanyuu murmured as she helped her friend, but seemed very nervous about something.

"What is it?" asked Rika, easily recognizing the signs of the goddess' worry. If something could actually worry Hanyuu, then it gave her a reason to worry.

"Au, well…I feel like…" the horned girl began. "It's hard to explain. It feels like something that shouldn't be here is. At the same time it feels like something that has already been here is back again. I can't really say it any better than that."

"Shouldn't be here? Been here before?" Rika asked confusedly.

"I just don't know," Hanyuu sighed, shaking her head. As she tried to continue with the sweeping, she suddenly jolted as if she had been shocked by something. Rika blinked, knowing for sure that something was up with her friend and that it meant something big.

"Hanyuu?"

*WHOOM!*

The Saiguden of the Furude Shrine suddenly lit up like a star had appeared. Both girls gasped in shock and dashed for the source, fearing that it was some kind of return of their enemies in GIN-SHOCKER, or perhaps worse**. **Rika, with the keys of the Saiguden in hand, carefully approached the Saiguden with Hanyuu shakily behind her. Rika unlocked the padlock in front of the door and removed it before opening the door. The two girls cried out as they were assaulted by near blinding light which soon shrank into a pillar in the middle of the floor in front of the statue of Oyashiro-sama. Rika could tell that it was obviously magic, but what it did was rather a mystery to her.

"Au! Au! Au!" Hanyuu trembled. "Something's coming! I can feel it!"

The pillar shone for another few moments before it promptly died down, but where it had been a person was now standing. He was handsome, apparently just into his twenties. His hair was shaggy, but a shade of green which made Rika wonder at first if he was related to her friends Mion and Shion. He wore a blue tunic of sorts with a white undershirt beneath it. He had black leather on his arms and black sandals on his feet. Strapped to his back was what appeared to be a flat rock with a flower design in the centre that looked like it could be split into five pieces. Running through holes in the rock was a strip of leather that had a pocket in the middle. He wasn't Japanese, but he was handsome Rika had to admit and looked western. He was also quite fit if the muscle she could see revealed from his tunic was any indication. Her blush brightened at the thought.

"I know you're there," he smiled, turning to where the two girls were hiding. "You and your friend can come out now, Master."

Frowning at being caught, Rika did just that with a frightened Hanyuu following her. They walked up to the strange man who so far hadn't done anything to prove he was threatening but Gebok had managed to get into Hinamizawa by pretending to be nice.

"How did you know we were there?" Rika asked in her adult voice.

"Such a mature voice for one so small," the man commented, sounding amused. "As for how I knew you were there, I heard you."

"Au, you heard us? How?" asked Hanyuu.

"I am Archer," the man introduced. "Since I bear the title, I possess heightened sense which allow me to hear on a level most cannot and see details that otherwise elude other people." He kneeled down to look Rika in the eye. "And I have also been summoned to serve you."

Rika blinked, a little unsure of what this all meant.

"Let me ask you, little one; are you my Master and if you are will you please tell me your name?"

"I am Rika Furude," the little shrine girl answered. "How would I be able to tell if I am your master?"

"Well, if you show me your hands then I will explain," Archer replied. Suspicious, Rika did just that and held out her hands. As she did so though, she saw a red tattoo on the back of her right hand which was glowing with a soft red light. The tattoo was in the shape of three flower petals in a triangular formation. Hanyuu gasped at the sight while Rika raised an eyebrow in confusion. Archer merely continued his explanation. "These markings represent our bond. With these, you are most assuredly my master."

Rika couldn't help but take her hands back to examine the markings on her skin. They didn't feel like they were tattoos or paint of any kind. In fact, they felt like they were always a part of her skin despite the fact that she knew otherwise. It was one of the stranger things she had run into during her life in Hinamizawa. Considering everything that occurred in the past that was a very profound statement.

* * *

><p>Dr. Gebok was not in a pleasant mood at the moment. Ever since the day had started, his physical augmentations had been going on the fritz. At first it was just minor errors which were negligible, but as the day wore on those errors were getting worse and worse. It had gotten so bad his body just as may as well be a regular human for all the good it was doing him. All day he had been running tests on himself to try and figure out what the problem was. It had been slow going since most of his equipment with GIN-SHOCKER, but he had been making progress and if his offers of alliance to the DHS came to fruition then funding and equipment weren't going to be a problem.<p>

At the moment, he was reading over his findings.

"It seems that an outside force is siphoning the extra energy needed to maintain my physical augmentations, leaving me only with what my body is capable of doing naturally," the mad scientist muttered to himself. "Where is this energy going? What purpose does it serve?"

It made no sense to the doctor, but then again he was suspecting that it was a natural occurring phenomenon. If it were one of his enemies then he would have been attacked long before now. No, his energy was being used for a purpose and he was going to learn what that purpose was. It wasn't like he had anything else to do at the moment anyway.

*BREET! BREET! BREET*

"Huh?" Gebok blinked, perking up at the screaming alarms. Heading to one of the computers, he began typing and getting a readout as to what was going on. A quick examination told him that a portal of energy was forming on the property and might possibly be bringing enemies. Cursing, he pulled up the readouts to tell him where the portal would form. As he read the information though, he paled slightly as he got the location confirmed.

…right in his lab.

*BOOM*

The room was filled with light as Gebok's machines were tossed from the force of the portal opening. Gebok himself managed to keep himself on his feet, cursing the fact that his enhancements weren't working. He was defenceless without a weapon at this point!

The light died down quickly and Gebok grabbed a simple and shamefully primitive handgun before pointing it at the source of the light. The glare needed a moment to die down, but he was just able to see what, or rather who had been the source of the energy siphon and subsequent light.

The person was in fact female, and stood a little over six feet tall. She was clad in a white wedding dress which went down to her shins and had a large ribbon wrapped around the skirt with a decorative round bell on her waist. Her arms were covered with white gloves and her chest was covered with more of the white fabric, but it was strapless. Her legs looked like they were encased in steel high-heel boots but it was hard to say if they were able to come off or not. Her neck was wrapped in a brass neckpiece which was connected to two large brass bolts on the sides of her head. It was decorated with what looked like a black veil which ran down to the base of her neck. Her hair was red and short, but on her forehead was a brass decoration which was a plate with a sharp brass horn. Her face was cute, but her eyes were two different colours with one being gold and the other being blue. Gripped in her hands was a long white pole which had a large heavy ball at the end.

Gebok blinked at the strange creature, but it wasn't her features which caught his attention. It was the look in her eyes which did. He wasn't looking at someone who was a warrior or a fighter of any kind. He was looking into the eyes of someone who was purely mad. Logic had no place, patience, sanity, reason, none of it was there in the strange woman's eyes. Still, the spark of intelligence was visible if only barely underneath the layers of insanity.

"Fa…ther?" the bride growled out.

"Ah, yes!" Gebok nodded quickly. "Yes, I am your father. Tell me, do you know who you are?"

The creature grimaced for a moment, but then began growling again, "Ber…ser…ker."

"Berserker, you say?" Gebok grinned. Had this girl teleported into his lab? Then where had she come from? Of course the bigger question was what she was. She was obviously a cyborg judging by her appearance. He could tell just by looking at her and his scans picked up on her status. Who had built her, why and what was she doing in his laboratory? Well, it looked like some unexplained force had brought before him a new specimen for study and experimentation. He would need to be careful, though. BLACK 13, his greatest creation, had rebelled and he'd learnt his lesson from that debacle. He would need to tread carefully and this was his chance. "Now, come with me and let me take a good look at you, my dear Berserker," Gebok said gently.

* * *

><p>"Hey come on baby! We don't bite!"<p>

"Yeah, we'll show you a good time! Promise!"

Natusmi Kimiyoshi cringed as the group of three boys circled around her. They were obviously the kinds of dropout thug her grandmother kept preaching to her about who infested larger cities and one of the main reasons why life was better back in Hinamizawa. While she tended to take her grandmother's speeches in such areas with a grain of salt, she was beginning to regret it now. She knew she shouldn't have stayed so long at the arcade, but she had gotten sucked into the game and didn't want to stop until her watch had gone off and alerted her to the time. She tried to get home fast by ducking into an alley, but that just put her in the sights of the three goons who were cornering her now.

"Now come on sweet thing, we're being really generous here," the lead thug snickered. "I mean, Tatsu's usually a lot more aggressive about how we ask a lady out."

"Yeah," the thug on the left snickered, toying with a switchblade. "I think we're being downright gentleman."

"Help…" Natsumi whimpered under her breath.

When the knife-wielding thug advanced on her with his blade at the ready, Natsumi thought her life was going to end.

*WOOSH!*

That was before light erupted from behind her and knocked over the wire mesh fence that she had been backed up against. Scurrying out of the way, Natsumi hid behind a trash can while the three thugs stumbled blindly since they had been looking directly at the light when it started up. It didn't last long, but it did make her flinch as she wondered what was going on. Was it one of the monster attacks that she was hearing about lately?

The light died down and Natsumi could see that someone had appeared when the light had. He stood tall, and nearly naked save for a ragged loincloth which looked like it had been made from some animal's pelt. However, he was certainly muscled and despite the situation the girl couldn't help but feel her face heat up at the sight of a man's chest. Gripped in his hand was what looked like a long straight stick which was topped with a sharpened rock tied on with thin vines. His face was sharply defined and had long shaggy hair which reached down to his back and his eyes showed a kind of…ferality which normal men didn't have.

"Who the hell is this guy?" cried one of the three thugs.

"Looks like a psycho out of that Hinamizawa place if you ask me!" replied another.

"Who cares? He's dead to me!" the knife wielder growled before he charged the man.

The punk reached the man and swing wide at his neck, but missed completely. The wild man had crouched low before pushing forward with his feet and smashing his head into the thug's gut. The knife wielder let out a loud huff of breath as the wind was knocked out of him. However, the wild man was quickly upright again before he lashed out with a savage kick that sent the thug flying backwards into his two friends. It was a sight that made Natsumi gasp in surprise. One kick managed to floor all three thugs at the same time? Just how strong was this man?

"Ow!" groaned the leader. Shaking his head, he pushed his blade-happy friend off and got to his feet. "Screw this! No chick is worth this!"

"I'm with you!"

Both punks quickly got to their feet and ran for their lives, leaving their friend unconscious on the ground. The wild man just grunted and approached the unconscious boy before tapping him with the blunt end of his spear, checking to see if he really was down and out. When the punk didn't move, the man seemed satisfied. He then sniffed the air before turning to the garbage cans which Natsumi was hiding behind.

"Are you well, Master?" he asked gently.

"Ah?" Natsumi squeaked, beginning to tremble.

"I won't hurt you," the man spoke, stepping closer to the cans. "I just wish to make sure you're safe."

Still trembling, but seeing no means of escaping Natsumi slowly stood up so that the wild man would be able to see her. Again, he didn't move, didn't make a threatening gesture, just stood his ground so that he wouldn't frighten her.

"My name is Lancer," he introduced. "I was summoned to serve you for the near future."

"S-serve me?" Natsumi stuttered.

"Protect you, aid you, fight for you," Lancer elaborated. "All that I am is yours to command."

Natsumi couldn't help but blush as her mind took a dive into the gutter at those words.

* * *

><p>Rena was at her favourite place in the whole world: the junkyard in Hinamizawa. Well, to others it was simply a dump to toss away their garbage. However, Rena only saw a place filled with buried treasure. It was her paradise, a safe haven for herself, her personal little hideaway. She had even made a base out of an old minivan and often came to this place to hunt for treasure. She salvaged and collected anything she perceived as cute. She had once brought Keiichi along with her but he hadn't shown much enthusiasm in her hobby. That was OK. She knew not many would share her outlook but she didn't blame any of her friends. Besides, this place was also dangerous but Rena had always loved coming here and knew how to be careful, even at night.<p>

However, as she sat atop her minivan, she just sighed in boredom. She was waiting. "Shin-kun…" He had told her that he would be coming but he was already an hour late. He said he would be coming once he was done with his patrol. Just what was holding him up? At first she felt annoyed but then she felt worried. Could Gebok be back? That man always had a habit of returning despite being destroyed each time. What if Shinichi was in trouble and had to fight again like he had against GIN-SHOCKER? The organization was gone, was it not? Then maybe it was Darklings and Darkloids again. They seemed to pop up every now and then.

Her worry and anxiety seemed to attract attention, and not the good kind. Yellow eyes, tinted with red, looked upon her with hunger. It growled as it snuck through the shadows. It made sure its footsteps were silent as it slowly approached its prey, ready to pounce. Stepping ever closer, it bent the muscles in its legs and prepared to jump…

*WOOSH!*

A pillar of light erupted from the space between the beast and its victim, causing both to freeze and pay attention to the event. Rena was frozen with shock and the best in confusion. The light was powerful, but it had been in enough darkness to hide it. What it felt coming from the light though…

The light died down quickly, but it left a figure behind. He was a western man and had long flowing brown hair that reached past his waist. He seemed to be wearing a white tunic with a red cross on it, but the torso was half-covered with bronze armour with more of the same armour on his arms and legs. A white cape hung from his shoulders, flapping in the night breeze. He stood strong and proud like something out of a storybook. Rena couldn't help but gape at his appearance.

"Sugoi…" she gasped.

The knight then reached into his cape where Rena couldn't see and retrieved a sword which had pure white steel for a blade and a golden hilt and handle. Taking the blade, he pointed it at one of the trash piles which populated the area around them as if he were going to challenge it.

"Demon!" he barked, his voice strong and proud. "Do not dare think you can hide from one such as I for I can sense your foul presence even if it were a mile away!"

Rena blinked in confusion, "Um…Mr. Knight? I don't think…"

A raging hissing noise cut off Rena's thoughts when a Darkling bust from the confines of a wrecked car and lunged for the knight standing in the trash. Rena would have screamed, but the knight was already moving when the beast had attacked. All Rena would be able to say about the attack was that the knight's arms moved and there was a flash of light before the Darkling was behind the knight and wasn't moving. It was still for a moment before it suddenly split down the middle like it had been chopped by a super-sharp sword before both halves dissolved into dust.

"Wow!" Rena gasped in shock. Shinichi could only do that when he used the Higurashi no Yaiba!

Sheathing his sword, the knight turned to face Rena who sat upon her van/fort, "Are you unharmed, Milady?"

Rena had to fight not to blush. He was talking like right out of a story! "Um…yes. I am. Thank you."

"Ah, then that is good," the knight nodded. Stepping forward, he reached the foot of the heap which was topped by the van before bowing down on one knee with his armour crushing the trash beneath. "I am Servant Saber, Milady. I am to be your sword to do battle with and defeat those who would rise against you for the sake of your desires."

"Um…" Rena blushed, unable to control it. She had to struggle to sit still while inside her mind was yelling, '_OMOCHIKAERI!_'

* * *

><p>"And so the seven Masters and sever Servants have been united!" Topper declared. "Let the games begin! Place your bets, ladies, who will you wager your money on? Which pair will be the last one standing at the very end of MY Holy Grail War?"<p>

The seven pairs were displayed on the windows like stained glass. In one window was a depiction of Shinichi and Rider, standing back to back, with a fleet of ships hanging over their heads. In the window after it was a depiction of Assassin held in a motherly embrace by Akane but with the Servant holding her daggers with her arms crossed. Then there was Archer, who stood behind Rika. Let us not forget Berserker and Gebok, with the mad scientist standing behind the charging Servant as he gave his command, lightning striking above them. The stained glass window depicting Satoshi and Caster showed the two glaring at each other. Well, Satoshi was glaring while shouldering a bat while Caster stared at his Master in amusement. There was a depiction of Lancer, swinging on a vine, while holding Natsumi's hand. And finally, a depiction of Saber riding on horseback with Rena at his side was in the final window of stained glass.

"I knew it! I knew it! This is going to be so much fun!" Lambdadelta giggled while clapping her hands in glee.

"You know…I think this just might be worth the risk of having that shard around," Beatrice smirked in interest.

"I admit it has potential…" Bernkastel commented, seemingly on the fence about what she was doing.

"I hope you know what you are doing, Merchant," Virgilia frowned.

"I always do, Lady Virgillia," Topper snickered softly.

**Ten-Faced Paladin: Okay, the basis of this story is that an Infinity Fragment managed to drift along the Multiverse and absorbed knowledge from worlds it skimmed by until Topper drew it back to Hinamizawa. There, it felt the desires of the founding families and the magic which is infused into the land along with the desires of other significant people. Since the fragments grant power to whoever holds them, the fragment wanted to grant the desire but since there were so many, it decided to start a competition on who deserved it most based on the method of fighting it learned of when it skimmed one of the many worlds in the Multiverse. So now we have a Holy Grail War without a Holy Grail and of course the Hinamizawa Gang are in the middle of it.**


	2. Chapter I

**FATE/ETERNAL TEARS**

**Chapter I: The First Day**

**Hinamizawa Area**

Silence was exchanged between Shinichi and this babelicious redhead kneeling in front of him. She repeated, "Are you my Master?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" he exclaimed frantically. He pointed at her and started shooting questions, "Who are you!-? Where did you come from!-? How did you kill those Darklings!-?" A lot was happening within a short span of time and Shinichi wanted answers.

"I told you, I am Rider, and you summoned me," she said, smiling sultrily at him. "As for how I was able to defeat those dark things, it's one of my specialties."

Shinichi just couldn't make heads or tails of the woman. She was hot, no doubting that fact even with the scar on her face. Even with the strange things he had seen since waking up in Hinamizawa, how women appearing out of nowhere and proving capable of killing the Darklings with antique pistols was something new to him. "Rider, what are you?"

"What I am? I am your Servant, Master," she answered. She helped Shinichi stand to full height. "So, I would assume that you are some kind of slayer of demons, then?"

"Well, you could-" began Shinichi only to pause as his twin ahoge twitched. His eyes widened and Rider noticed his distress.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Rargh…" Both heard that growl and looked towards the source to see that one of the Darklings managed to survive. It was buried beneath the remains of its decomposing fellows and had possibly survived because of Rider's bullets being slowed down by the bodies of its comrades.

"Hm, I must be losing my touch," Rider assumed as she reached for her pistols again, only for Shinichi to step forward. "Master, wait!" She couldn't lose her Master now. What kind of Servant would she be if she allowed him to die so soon in the game?

"My name is Shinichi Banabara," he told Rider as he reached into his jacket. The Darkling's body twitched and convulsed erratically like it was having a seizure. Its body bulged like a balloon and its skin was tearing up before the creature's true form tore its way out of the balloon with sharp, scissor-like claws. Dark miasma of negative energy was released as it dragged itself out of its old skin, showing it true form. It looked like a bipedal rabbit with a thin midsection, long legs with springs in place of regular shins, and long, scissor-like claws that looked sharp.

Shinichi took something out from his jacket and put it on his midsection, allowing a leather belt to spring out from one side, wrap around his waist, and lock into a slot on the other side of a large belt buckle with a fan in the middle. "Ore wa…Kamen Rider da! Henshin!" He pulled the ripcord and shouted, "Let it Rip!" before releasing it. The fan spun as the Hare Darkloid hopped towards him but then the fan released a burst of wind that threw it backwards.

Rider's eyes widened as she saw her Master change. His clothes were replaced by a black bodysuit with gloves and boots that were colored like the leaves in autumn, a mix of red, orange and brown. His chest-plate and helmet sported the same color-scheme as well. It was like camouflage. His eyes were light blue with a pair of antennae sticking out from his brow. Finally, hanging from his neck with two tails of fabric flowing down his back like wings was a scarf the same color as his armor.

Shinichi—now Scada—still felt pretty winded from before but now in his armor he was ready for battle. The Scada Buckle was a newly developed Rider System and Shinichi had been chosen to give it a proper field test. It was modeled after the belts of Kamen Rider #1 and Kamen Rider #2 with a ripcord on the side that spun the fan built inside the buckle.

The Rabbit Darkloid's spring-like legs sprung it towards its opponent, claws clashing as they were shot forward but Scada did a back flip and nailed the Darkloid in the chin with his heels, tossing it backwards. Back on his feet, Scada performed a brutal combo of punches. He started with the 1-2 jab followed by two-fisted punch into its chest, sending it skidding into a tree.

Rider watched, arms folded under her impressive bosom. She had gotten quite an interesting Master after all.

"Higurashi no Yaiba," Scada called and in a flash of light the sacred sword of the Furude Clan appeared in his hand. Rider stared at the weapon.

'_He can summon a Noble Phantasm as well?_' she thought. Her Master was getting even more interesting by the second.

Scada's exhaustion was catching up to him so he decided to finish this quickly. Gripping the sacred sword tightly in his hand, he focused. The sword glowed, accompanied by the chirps of hundreds of cicadas. The Rabbit Darkloid sprung at him and Scada saw his opening before he swung. The blade sliced through the Darkloid's flesh from the right shoulder all the way to the left hip, bisecting the creature viciously. The Darkloid collapsed, its body erupting violently as it was destroyed. As soon as the attack was used, Scada collapsed to his knees as the Higurashi no Yaiba vanished.

Reaching to his midsection, Scada tugged at the buckle which caused the belt strap to unlock and retract. He held the device at his side and tried to get back to his feet, only to fall on one knee in exhaustion. It was the same feeling he had when he first used the Higurashi no Yaiba last year when he was still getting used to it.

"Master," Rider sighed as she approached her Master and slung his arm over her shoulder. Helping him to his feet, she shook her head. "If you keep this up, you'll be giving me a heart attack."

"Sorry. It's just who I am," Shinichi grimaced.

"Men," Rider rolled her eyes. Chuckling, she looked to him. "So, is there a place I can take you to? I guess it's partially my fault you're so exhausted. Maybe I can…lend you a hand in recovering?" her voice turned to a husky whisper and she seemed to somehow draw more emphasis to her chest which thanks to their positioning, Shinichi got an eyeful of.

"Uh…follow the path. I left my bike nearby," Shinichi gulped. '_I have Rena-chan! I have Rena-chan! I have Rena-chan. I have…wow they're huge!_"

"You know, if you really want to take such a close look, you just have to ask," Rider snickered, seeing where Shinichi's eyes had dipped down to.

"AH! SORRY!" He might be a pervert but even he had morals. He would never peep on a girl unless they allowed it, like his girlfriend.

"Don't be," Rider chuckled. "I wouldn't be dressed this way if I didn't want to be looked at."

Shinichi averted his eyes and then remembered he had something to do. "Ah, the junkyard!"

"Junkyard?" Rider blinked.

"I promised to meet Rena-chan there," he explained. "She must still be waiting for me."

"Ah, so your lady friend awaits," Rider smiled, "And you promised to meet her."

"Of course," Shinichi nodded. "What kind of man would I be if I broke my promise with Rena-chan?"

"Well, allow me to escort you to her then, Master," Rider volunteered.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Shinichi asked. Rider took his right hand, which made hi blush, and removed his glove to show what he had on the back of his hand. It looked like an ornate picture of an anchor, but it was split into three sections, left, right, and centre. "Woah, when did I get inked!" The tattoo looked like an anchor.

"Those are you Command Sigils," she clarified, "Which indeed mark you as my Master. Now, off we go!"

Shinichi and Rider walked down the path, with Shinichi's eyes looking back and forth. They soon found his motorbike, the Showa-Racer, parked right where he left it. "Hm…an impressive machine." She saw her Master about to mount it. "What are you doing?"

"Starting it up," he told her.

"Oh, nononono," she denied him and pulled him away, the back of his head buried into the crevice of her breasts, causing him to blush. "You, Master, are still exhausted from both battle and the summoning ritual. Allow me."

"Do you even know how to ride?" Shinichi asked.

"I am Rider," she told him. "Now, into the sidecar."

Shinichi looked at his sidecar. He had never ridden in it before. Then again, he was always driving. He wanted to protest but Rider leaned in close to his and she purred, "Please~?"

"OK! OK!" He caved. "Just…don't do that!" He didn't know how much more his hormones could take. He got into the sidecar and put on the spare helmet. Smiling, Rider straddled the Showa-Racer and put on the helmet. She started up the bike and smiled as she heard the engine growl.

"Hm…now off we go!"

* * *

><p><strong>Furude Shrine<strong>

"You have quite an interesting home," Archer admired as he looked around his surroundings. In the centre of the room was the familiar statue of Oyashiro-sama and along the walls were torture devices from the old days of the watanagashi festival where there was an actual human sacrifice. Thankfully, those days were long past.

"Actually, this is the Saiguden," Rika informed him. "It's not where we live."

"Oh, so these tools would not be part of the décor," Archer commented. "Is there someplace else where we may speak?"

"It's getting late, and Shiori-mama must be waiting for us," said Hanyuu.

"You're right, Hanyuu," agreed Rika. "Come, Archer."

"As you wish, Master."

* * *

><p><strong>Houjou Residence<strong>

"So, what kind of name is 'Caster' anyway?" Satoshi asked. He, Shion and Satoko were seated around the low table in the living room and joining them was their new 'guest'. The man, who called himself Caster, looked around and opened his book to take notes with his feathered quill before closing it again.

"Oh, it's not a name. It is simply my title," Caster replied.

"So, what is your name?" Shion asked.

"Isn't it rude to ask for my name without you introducing yourselves?" Caster questioned.

"Fine," Satoshi sighed. "My name is Satoshi Houjou. The younger girl is my sister Satoko while the other girl is my girlfriend Shion Sonozaki."

"Ah, so the familial bonds are forged already between the protagonists. A dynamic character bond," Caster nodded, quickly making more notes in his book. The man seemed to be in his own little world as he scrawled down his words. Where he was getting the ink though, none of the trio knew. They waited for him to answer their question, but he simply didn't reply.

"Well?" asked Satoko. "Who are you?"

"Hm?" the man looked up. "Oh, that's right. While my true name is not Caster, it is best that you refer to me as such and it is better that you don't know my name in the first place."

"What? Why not?" Satoko huffed impatiently.

"It would be safer that way," Caster replied, taking a look at Satoko before making more notes. "There are going to be several antagonists in this act and should they learn my true identity then how effective a Servant I can be for you will be severely limited."

"You mean there are going to be people coming after you?" asked Shion suspiciously.

"Not for anything I had done I assure you," Caster answered. "No, they will wish to do battle with me so to reduce the competition and head for the climax of our little tale that much quicker. He who reaches that point shall be the one to claim the prize."

"What prize?" Satoshi asked.

"Well, the Holy Grail, of course!" Caster answered dramatically.

"Holy Grail?" the three youngsters parroted.

"Oh, my goodness! Don't tell me you don't know about the Holy Grail!" Caster exclaimed. "Hm, it would appear I have been summoned to a different game." He jotted down a note in his book.

"You called yourself Satoshi-kun's Servant," Shion reminded, "And you said Satoshi-kun is your Master. Where's the proof?"

"Check the back of your right hand, Satoshi," Caster instructed. "You should see your Command Sigils etched into your skin."

Satoshi stared at the back of his right hand like Caster said and his eyes widened as he saw what Caster was referring to. "I have a tattoo!" he exclaimed. On the back of his hand was a red marking which looked like a feather split between the two sides and the main stem.

"And that is the proof of Satoshi's mastery over me," Caster nodded, taking note of Satoshi's expression when he discovered the markings. "As you can see, the two of us will be partnered together for the time being."

"And just why was Satoshi-kun picked for all this?" asked Shion. Something didn't smell right about this to her. She was sure that there was more to this than what Caster was saying.

"Who can say?" Caster shrugged. "Perhaps it was the Holy Grail itself that decided he had earned the chance to at least try to make his dreams come true. Should he be able to defeat the antagonists then he will be able to receive a wish in reward for his victory."

"A wish?" asked Satoshi.

"Of course," Caster nodded. "You honestly don't think you were brought into this without any kind of incentive to participate, do you? We may call this the Holy Grail War, but it is actually a tournament and in a tournament the victor will receive a prize. Of course the prize will only go to the last Master-Servant pair standing at the end."

"So, this Holy Grail thingy will grant any wish?" Satoko asked excitedly.

"Anything in your wildest dreams, fulfilling your heart's desire. It's because of that the other Masters and Servants are willing to do whatever it takes to win in order to win and be rewarded," answered Caster.

Shion was still skeptical about this whole thing, despite having encountered cybernetic monsters, cyborgs, evil organizations and demons, so she posed a question, "So, Caster, what is it can you do? I mean you don't look like much of a fighter."

"Ah, so the young lady wishes for a demonstration?" Caster asked, interpreting her question as a challenge. "I guess it is only fair that my audience knows what I am capable of if I am to assist my Master. It would put your heart at ease, would it not?"

Shion nodded.

"Well, ladies and gentleman, prepare yourselves to see the awesome power of myself who has been summoned forth under the Caster Class. Be shocked, awed and amazed at my talent!" announced Caster dramatically. Standing up, he turned to Satoshi. "Master, if you would accompany me outside for a demonstration. Bring a weapon with you, something you have a strong emotional attachment to."

"Huh?" Satoshi blinked. However, Caster didn't offer an explanation as he headed to the door. Shrugging, Satoshi got up and followed him, picking up his baseball bat as he went. Shion and Satoko looked at each other in confusion before they followed the pair.

Caster led the three outside into a spot which was relatively clear. Turning around, he smiled at them, "Ladies and gentleman, allow me to show my skills," Opening his book again, he brought out his quill. This time though, the feather shone with a soft magical light. Bringing the tip to the blank page, he began to write, leaving sparkling words behind. In response, a soft light began to wrap around Satoshi's arms and baseball bat.

"What did you do?" asked Satoko.

"I enchanted his weapon and arms. Simple Reinforcement," Caster answered. He gestured to a sizable rock which was on the ground. "Master, why don't you test it out?"

"On a rock?" Satoshi blinked. "But…it'll break my bat."

"Trust me, it won't," Caster reassured him.

Frowning, Satoshi decided that something had to have happened even though he certainly didn't feel any different. Walking over to the rock, he raised his arms and his weapon up high. Steeling himself for splinters, he brought his bat down with the strongest swing that he could produce and…

KRACK!

The rock shattered into pebbles on impact. Shion and Satoko gasped at the sight while Caster only smiled knowingly.

"Wow Nii-nii!" the little girl cried out in delight.

"And that is just a sample of my magic," Caster announced. "With my spell work Master, you will be faster, stronger, more agile, and more resistant than any human. Your strength will no doubt be on par with legendary heroes!"

"Woah…" the blonde boy gaped.

"Wow!" Satoko gasped, her eyes filled with sparkles at the thought of her brother being some sort of superhero.

"Wait, doesn't this mean Satoshi will be doing the fighting?" Shion asked, glaring at Caster.

"Alas, the Caster Class does not possess any melee combat abilities," Caster sighed, "But as Caster I am invaluable for my magecraft which will assist Satoshi."

Shion still didn't like this but it was getting late. "I guess it's time I should get dinner started. It's a good thing we shopped for groceries earlier."

* * *

><p>"My compliments to the chef!" said Caster as he ate with the Houjou siblings and Shion in the Houjou residence.<p>

"It's just a simple dinner," Shion said defensively.

"No, Caster's right, Shion. This is great," Satoshi complimented, making Shion blush.

"Nee-nee is really trying hard to be Nii-nii's wife, aren't you?" Satoko teased. Shion and Satoshi blushed together and Caster laughed.

"Ah, a good dose of comedy is always needed during drama!" Caster said.

"So, Caster, you said this Holy Grail War was a tournament, which means there are other Servant?"

"Yes, seven Classes including me. There is the Saber Class, Lancer Class, Archer Class, Rider Class, Assassin Class and the Berserker Class," Caster explained.

* * *

><p>Fortunately, sleeping arrangements were not difficult to arrange. Caster, as a Servant, didn't really need to sleep or eat. So he volunteered to just stay up and work on his unfolding story while the other slept. Shion also elected to sleepover with Satoko teasing again, suggesting they sleep together in their parents' old bedroom. However, it was soon decided that Shion would sleep with Satoko to keep her company while Satoshi slept in his old room.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Banabara Residence<strong>

Shiori was just working on her latest book. Checking the time, she sighed. Her son, Shinichi, and her two adopted daughters had yet to return. Just what was keeping them? Since the destruction of GIN-SHOCKER, Shiori expected for a more peaceful life but since Darklings and Darkloids still roamed free around these parts, it was necessary for her son to be on patrol. As for Rika and Hanyuu, they were taking care of the Furude Shrine grounds since it was their responsibility.

As she tapped her pen upon the sheet of paper, she heard the doorbell ring. "I'm coming!" She went to open the door, expecting to see her kids, but was surprised to see Akane standing in the doorway. "Akane-san?"

Akane was secretly a fan of Shiori's work. Her own mother of course frowned on Shiori's profession but in truth Shiori wasn't hurting anyone and she made sure her books weren't being sold to anyone too young and were kept out of reach, set in book stores in the restricted adult sections. Akane herself loved how passionate Shiori was when she wrote about romance and the physical acts of love which followed. The two got acquainted with each other since their children were friends and had become friends. Of course Oryo didn't approve but the woman hardly approved of anything these days and she certainly couldn't stop who her daughter talked to within the village without a good reason and disliking the woman's choice of profession when her own son-in-law was a yakuza boss was hardly an excuse.

Shiori also noted that Akane wasn't alone. Hiding just behind the kimono-clad woman was a child with short, pale hair and dressed in an oversized black blazer from a three-piece suit. "Ano…who is this?" Shiori asked.

"Shiori-san, forgive me for coming to you so late and unannounced, but I need your help," said Akane, urgently. Shiori nodded, seeing the urgency, and invited both Akane and the girl inside. "Oh, and her name's Jackie," Akane answered.

"What seems to be the problem?" Shiori asked.

"I was hoping if we could borrow some clothes. You see…" Akane glanced towards Assassin. The girl dipped out from behind Akane slightly more, eyeing Shiori up as if she were a possible threat, but incidentally opened her blazer to reveal her racy outfit underneath.

"Oh my!" Shiori gasped. She looked back up to Akane. "Why is she wearing such a racy outfit?"

"I don't know, but I think she was being taken advantage of by some pervert," Akane whispered, hoping that the small girl wouldn't overhear. She was probably traumatized enough by now. "I couldn't just leave her there so I'm going to bring her home with me and see if we can help her recover."

"Of course," Shiori nodded. "She looks like she's about Rika-chan and Hanyuu-chan's size. I'll bring some of their spare clothes for her."

"Thank you so much," Akane smiled in relief. Looking back down to the girl, she gently clasped her hand and led her to the table to take a seat. "Don't worry about Shiori-san. We're just getting you some new clothes to wear."

Assassin was silent for a moment but then nodded with a soft, "Okay."

Shiori quickly returned with some of Rika and Hanyuu's outfits which looked like they would be able to fit the young girl, "Okay, here are some things Rika-chan and Hanyuu-chan don't wear too often. You can have your new little one wear them until she has new clothes of her own."

"Thank you, Shiori-san," Akane smiled gratefully. "Do you mind if Jackie-chan changes here? I want her out of those shameful things as soon as possible."

"By all means," Shiori nodded. "Clothes like those I'd only ever wear for my husband." She sighed sadly. She was still a widow and her husband had passed away years ago.

Assassin picked up a sundress, examining it critically, before putting it down. Something warmer for the season would be much better. She then started to search through the clothes to see something she would like. Akane had brought her here to be clothed properly and that was what Assassin intended to do for her 'mother'. Looking at Akane, who smiled at her, Assassin then looked back at the clothes and found something that she thought was appropriate.

"I see she wants to wear the old kimono," said Shiori. It was a pretty old kimono, and something Rika hadn't worm. However, since Assassin didn't have any other clothes, maybe lending her the kimono for now wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Come, Jackie-chan, I'll help you put it on," Akane offered.

* * *

><p><strong>Shishibone City<strong>

Natsumi looked to Lancer who was walking alongside her. He had traded in his loincloth for more suitable clothes and was properly dressed in a white shirt, jacket and slacks with black shoes. A tie hung loosely from his neck.

"What's wrong, Master?" Lancer asked. This caused Natsumi to blush and look away.

"N-nothing," the girl stammered.

Since the thugs were taken care of, Lancer was guiding her back to her house. Natsumi certainly didn't mind since Lancer was in fact was very handsome and seeing him in his loincloth…the relatively new memory threatened to make her blush turn downright supernova.

Still, Natsumi was incredibly confused as to what had happened and no amount of beefcake was going to make her forget about. Lancer had appeared in a great flash of light which as far as she knew had happened for no reason. Then the man had taken one look at the situation and beat up one of the thugs trying to take advantage of her before sending the rest running scared. He then offered to take her home but when she mentioned his lack of clothes, he emitted light once again before emerging in his current outfit.

"Just who are you?" Natsumi asked.

"I am your Servant, Master," he answered, smiling.

"You told me that already, but what does it mean?" she questioned. A lot of weird stuff was happening too fast for her to catch up with and her rational mind couldn't cope with it just yet.

Natsumi and her family had moved away from Hinamizawa several years ago because of her father's job. She lived in an apartment in the city with her family. She had originally lived in Okinomoya, the rural town near Hinamizawa but was now living with her family in the big city. Her grandmother, a native of Hinamizawa, didn't really like the large city but she didn't have much time to live and stayed with her family as happily as she could, giving sagely advice to her granddaughter. Natsumi normally ignored her words but tonight she had been accosted and would've been hurt if it weren't for Lancer.

As she started out in the big city, she had befriended a boy Akira Toudou whom she had a crush on. She had yet to confess her feelings and whenever they were alone together she would just blush and get flustered.

And now she was getting flustered because of this man who had appeared out of nowhere.

"What it means that you are a Master, chosen by the Holy Grail to fight for it in the Holy Grail War," Lancer explained.

"War!-?" Natsumi shouted.

"Yes, a War," affirmed Lancer. "It is a tournament fought between Master and Servant pairs until only one pair survives at the end. The victors would be granted the Holy Grail."

"And then what?" Natsumi asked. "Is it some kind of fancy trophy?"

"The Holy Grail is more than a mere trophy, Master," said Lancer. "It is an item of great power which can grant any wish."

"Grant wishes?" Natsumi repeated. "Any wish?"

"Anything you would ever desire," said Lancer.

"It won't be easy, will it?" Natsumi asked. "We've gotta fight other Servants like you and their Masters." She then asked, "What exactly is a Servant?"

"Servants like myself are heroic figures from history summoned to this War and empowered by our individual myths and legends," explained Lancer, "And it is because of that we are designated by our classes instead of our true names."

"I don't see the big deal," said Natsumi. The words hadn't truly registered with her, but considering the amount of stress she had been through it was a good excuse why her mind wasn't firing on all cylinders at the moment. "And what do you mean by classes?"

"Our true names are a very big deal, Master. Because our legends are so well known, our names could reveal our weaknesses as well that can be exploited by the enemy," Lancer said gravely. "That is why in battle, we Servants would use our classes as aliases and I have been summoned as Lancer."

"OK, please don't call me Master anymore," requested Natsumi. "Just call me Natsumi. Nat-su-mi."

"Very well, Natsumi," nodded Lancer, small smile on his lips.

"But why me?" Natsumi asked. "Why am I involved in all this?"

It was a good question in her mind. She really wasn't anyone who stood out that much. Lots of people really didn't take notice of her beyond a few cursorily glances. She was just okay in athletics and academics and she certainly didn't have any special abilities. The only real claim to fame she had was being a descendant of one of the three founders of Hinamizawa and that didn't really make her famous outside of the small village. Even in the village it was the Furude and Sonozaki which got more attention than her family did.

"Nobody knows how the Holy Grail works, but you are without a doubt my Master for you carry the Command Sigils upon your hand," Lancer pointed at the tattoo on Natsumi's hand. Glancing at the back of her hand, Natsumi spied the red markings. It looked like a handprint which was split into three sections. Four fingers were connected by lines, the palm, and the thumb was making up the markings.

"My parents are so gonna kill me," Natsumi grimaced. While tattoos were a popular thing with some students, her parents made it clear that they would kill her if she ever came home with one unless a good scrubbing would get rid of it.

"Never fear, Natsumi," said Lancer. "The Command Sigils will be rendered invisible to them."

"Well, that's a relief," said Natsumi. No way could she explain how she got a tattoo, even if it was a cool design. Her parents might think she was turning into a delinquent. "So, about the other classes, what are they?"

"Aside from me, there are Saber, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin and Berserker," Lancer listed.

"I guess the names explain what they're each good at then," said Natsumi. "We're here." They stood in front of her apartment building. Normally it was a sign of refuge to her, but right now in light of her situation it looked downright ominous. "Um…how can I explain about you?"

"Tell them that I saved you from some thugs," said Lancer. "I can also say that I'm from overseas and looking for a place of residence."

"What will that do?" Natsumi questioned.

"Your parents will be so grateful they will allow me to stay for the duration of the Holy Grail War," answered Lancer.

"Speaking of which, where exactly will the Holy Grail War take place?" asked Natsumi.

"Hinamizawa."

"WHAT?-!"

* * *

><p><strong>Hinamizawa Junkyard<strong>

"Who are you, Saber-san?" Rena asked, barely able to contain her excitement at seeing an actual knight in shining armor and he'd arrived just in time to save you.

"As I told you, Milady, I am your Servant and I am here to fight at your side," the knight told Rena. "May I ask for your name, Milady."

"Rena," Rena answered. "Rena Ryuugu."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful maiden," Saber smiled, causing Rena to blush. "So, what is your command, Master?"

"Servant? Master?" Rena questioned. "Ano, Saber-san, why do you call me your Master?"

"Because that is what you are, and I have been summoned to fight for you as your Servant. The Command Sigils upon the back of your right hand is proof of that," Saber said. Rena looked at the back of her hand and gasped as she saw the markings. There were three markings, all forming a sword-like pattern upon the back of her hand.

"But how?" Rena asked, "And why?"

Saber looked at her quizzically. Had she not summoned him to fight for the Holy Grail? Was this not the Heaven's Feel ritual, also known as the Holy Grail War? Was she not a mage?

"It is quite dark, Milady," Saber stated. "I think it's best that I return you home."

"No, I can't go yet!" said Rena insistently. "I need to wait for Shin-kun!"

"'Shin-kun'?" Saber parroted the name. "Is he your friend?"

"He is more than that," Rena confessed with a blush.

"Ah…" Saber realized. "I see that he is your paramour. Your lover. And here you are waiting to rendezvous with him."

Rena blushed at the way Saber had called Shinichi her lover. Well, they had done that but still it was so embarrassing. "Saber-san, mou~!"

Saber chuckled. Such an adorable Master he'd gotten. "Well, then I shall wait with you. Who knows if anymore fiendish creatures like the one I had slain still lurk in this place." It was a junkyard. "Actually, where am I?"

"Oh, you're in Hinamizawa, a village," Rena answered.

"A village, I see," nodded Saber. "And this exact place?"

"The local junkyard, but I call it my Mountain of Treasure!"

"Mountain of Treasure," Saber repeated. How could such a place be a Mountain of Treasure? Clearly, his Master was quite eccentric. "Master, as we wait, would you like me to explain the situation?"

"OK!" Rena smiled, nodding.

* * *

><p><strong>Banabara Residence<strong>

"She looks so adorable!" Shiori practically squealed. Assassin was no longer in that racy outfit of hers and was dressed in a midnight blue kimono with a peach-colored floral pattern. Around her waist was a blue obi sash. Akane had helped her get into the traditional ensemble and it really looked cute on the petite young girl.

"Are you sure this will be alright?" asked Akane.

"Oh, that old thing? I'm sure Rika-chan won't mind. Besides, you'll return it as soon as Jackie-chan gets more clothes," said Shiori.

"Well, that is good," said Akane, relieved that there probably wouldn't be any problems with Assassin wearing one of Rika's old kimonos. It really fit the pale-haired girl well. In a plastic bag was the racy costume Assassin had worn before. Akane was going to dispose of it later once she got home. She never wanted to see it again! "Thank you, Shiori-san."

"Oh it's no problem," Shiori smiled. "I'm just glad I was able to help."

"Still, thank you all the same," Akane nodded as she took Assassin's hand again. "Now let's say we get to those hot baths and warm beds, Jackie-chan?"

"…okay." The girl nodded.

Smiling, Akane took the white-haired girl out the door with a wave of goodbye. The little one likewise looked back at Shiori, but it wasn't with suspicion like it had been before. Instead, she just seemed…blank. It broke Shiori's heart to see a cute little girl be that way. She dearly hoped that Akane could help her. After all, Akane was such a nice woman and she tried so hard to be a good mother. With her twins growing up maybe having a little one around again would do her some good. It wouldn't hurt to have Jackie-chan know what it was like to have a mother.

* * *

><p><strong>Shishibone City<strong>

As expected, Natsumi's parents were angry at their daughter for being out so late and her grandmother also scolded her while also showing some concern. As Lancer had stated earlier, they behaved as expected, and were grateful for his act of protecting Natsumi. They wouldn't have a room for him, however, but for a Servant that wasn't really a problem since he could render himself invisible in his astral form. It certainly freaked Natsumi out when her Servant came through the wall in his astralized form. Luckily her parents assumed she was having a nightmare from the attack.

"You scared me!" Natsumi hissed after her parents left the room.

"_Sorry,_" Lancer chuckled, taking a seat on the floor. "_I just wanted to make sure that everybody was asleep before I came in._"

"Well…you should have warned me or something!" Natsumi huffed. Lancer's chuckling just caused her to flush deeper. "Anyway, are you sure the Holy Grail War is supposed to take place in Hinamizawa?"

"_Very sure,_" Lancer nodded. "_The Grail gave me that knowledge when I was summoned._"

"Great…" Natsumi murmured. "I hope Grandpa will be okay."

"_Your grandfather lives there?_" Lancer asked.

"Yeah, he's the village chief but he's really just a figurehead," Natsumi shrugged, "But it's still a busy job so that's why we moved here with Grandma to take care of her. But now I guess I'll have to ask my parents if I can go visit. I know Grandma will be happy."

"_I see you really want to participate now,_" said Lancer.

"Hey, there's no way I can refuse it if I wanted to, and this is a tournament so sooner or later they'll be coming for me anyway. Maybe not now, but they will. Might as well go and see the competition," said Natsumi.

"_You seem oddly calm,_" Lancer observed.

"Actually, I'm freaking out on the inside," Natsumi told Lancer. "So, when should we leave?"

"_As soon as possible,_" suggested Lancer. "_By now the other Servants have been summoned so it's just a matter of time before the Holy Grail War officially starts._"

"Hey, if this is a tournament, shouldn't there be some kind of referee or judge or something?" Natsumi asked.

"_Normally a moderator would be assigned to explain the rules,_" said Lancer. "_But I do not have knowledge of one here._"

"Well, that's just great," Natsumi frowned. "Well, I guess we can wait until tomorrow then. Goodnight."

"_Goodnight, Natsumi._"

* * *

><p><strong>Hinamizawa Junkyward<strong>

"This is where you'll be meeting her?" Rider asked as she removed the helmet while Shinichi exited the sidecar. She looked over the piles of garbage rather incredulously. Her Master was really going to meet his lady friend here? "It's a dump!"

"It's Rena-chan's special place," Shinichi corrected. "Now, stay here. I don't want Rena-chan to get the wrong idea until I tell her."

"You will tell her about me?" Rider asked, perplexed.

"She'll find out if I don't and then she'll be mad at me," Shinichi replied. He shivered. "And she can be pretty scary when she's angry."

"Seems like she's got a leash on you, Master," snickered Rider.

Shinichi didn't dignify her comment with a response and went to find Rena at her favorite place. "I'm sure hope she's not upset with me for being late," he murmured. He looked back at the Command Sigils. "So, three absolute orders, huh?" Rider had been brief with her explanation regarding the anchor-shaped tattoo. It was his mark as her Master and with them he could make her do absolutely anything he wanted three times. "Gebok would've loved to have these."

* * *

><p><strong>Gebok's Lab<strong>

Gebok had the tall female cyborg sit down while he had her hooked up to his computer. She had obeyed his command, but would not part with her weapon. There could be some significance to it. That was the only logical conclusion. The cyborg, who called herself Berserker, was unlike anything he'd ever seen. On one hand, the technology used to create her was unrefined, making it obvious that she was part machine. However, as archaic as she was she was also incredibly advanced. He was trying to uncover several mysteries. Where had she come from? How had she appeared? And what made her tick?

And why did she insist on calling him 'Father'?

Being called father brought back an old feeling he had when he'd been human. But he pushed those memories back and focused on the present. For science!

The computers displayed the readings. It would appear that this cyborg ran on electricity, and some other form of unknown energy. Gebok took note of that. In the meantime, he looked at the girl. She was beautiful, magnificent, and most of all she belonged to him.

He would need to know what she was capable of, though. That was the most important part. Was she truly combat worthy? Berserker was a term used for warriors who were so overcome by their instincts and lust for battle that rational thought completely left the driver's seat. However, this Berserker had not displayed such tendencies. There was insanity in her eyes but not enough that she would not understand. She hadn't attacked him, yet, but she might.

He also saw odd markings on his right hand. He hadn't noticed them at first until he removed his gloves and saw them on the back of his right hand. The markings resembled three thunderbolts, arranged with their tips pointing at each other in a triangular formation.

* * *

><p>The name Berserker suggested a warrior that fought all those around them, uncaring of the status of friend or foe. All that was within a Berserker's sight was fair game and would be destroyed in the most violent way as possible.<p>

He had led Berserker into a large, empty room before leaving her alone to stand in the observation deck. He sat in front of a computer, eyes trained on the white-clad Servant. If she was combat ready then he wanted to see what she could do within a controlled setting.

He tapped a few buttons and several doors opened up. Marching out from the doors were GIN-SHOCKER Soldiers. Actually, they weren't the standard flesh and blood GIN-SHOCKER Soldiers. Rather, they were androids which looked like GIN-SHOCKER Soldiers.

Gebok gave a command that was addressed to the android soldiers and Berserker, "Attack."

* * *

><p>Gebok watched as Berserker ploughed her way through the soldiers, tearing them apart and crushing them with sheer brute strength. It reminded him of BLACK 13's own rampage when he escaped from GIN-SHOCKER but this time he would not be targeted by her rage. Her mace crackled as she smashed it against an android soldier's head, knocking it clean of its shoulders before she roared like a beast, taking them down with savage brutality. None of them could match her speed or strength and Gebok couldn't help but cheer for Berserker.<p>

She had called him 'father'. He could use that to his advantage. She was dangerous, however, but still under his control. She was a real weapon, and completely loyal to him. Looking back down at the floor, which was littered with the broken remains of his android soldiers, he saw Berserker standing, not looking winded at all.

"That's enough, Berserker," Gebok spoke into a microphone. "You can take a five minute break before the next test."

* * *

><p>Gebok could see that Berserker could take down a small army. Now he wanted to see how physically strong she was. He had weights dropped on her, which she caught and support upon her back as they pushed down on her. However, she didn't even seem like she was struggling. She was eventually pushed to her knees but only when the accumulated burden weighed at several hundred thousand pounds.<p>

"That's very good, Berserker," Gebok complimented as he took notes. Even a monster needed to be praised so they could feel good about themselves.

* * *

><p><strong>Hinamizawa Junkyard<strong>

"And then, and then Shin-kun and all the other Riders did an All Rider Kick and destroyed the huge monster!" Rena finished.

Saber and Rena were exchanging stories. Before Rena had told her tale, Saber had explained to her about the significance of his summoning and the Command Sigils. The story about a Holy Grail War was a little frightening, but also really cool. It was like something someone would play in a game or something! Once Saber finished his story, Rena decided to regale him about her adventures with her Shin-kun. She told him the adventures of his battles against the Darkloids, GIN-SHOCKER, and was finishing up with the story about all of the Riders defeating the giant Darkloid which had been sleeping under the old quarry.

Saber politely listened to her tales, somewhat enraptured by the tales. Demons which hunt in the night, an organization of corrupt humans which desired to take over the world, and what would have been one of their most lethal weapons turning against them and ending in their destruction. It was indeed a magnificent tale that any minstrel would have been happy to tell and would have had acclaim for speaking about. Now, one would have merely made the story out to be fantasy, but being what he was Saber easily considered the tale as truth. He himself had done many magnificent things which many would have suggested to be simply stories made up from one's imagination.

"Your lover sounds like he is worthy of being a Heroic Spirit himself," Saber chuckled as Rena finished her story.

"Hau!" Rena beamed. Saber explained that he was a Heroic Spirit, someone who was a legendary human who was likely still famous today. Hearing her Shin-kun was good enough to be one of them just tickled her pink with delight.

"RENA-CHAN!"

* * *

><p>Shinichi found Rena but she wasn't alone. Leaning against the minivan with his girlfriend sitting atop the roof was a man clad in bronze armor, with wavy brown hair and wearing a white cape. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. As he had gotten closer the anchor markings on his hand had begin to grow hotter until he came over a mound of trash and found his girlfriend with the strange man. Worried, he called out to her, "RENA-CHAN!"<p>

Rena perked up and turned to see who had called, breaking out into a smile when she saw who it was, "Ah! Shin-kun!"

Shinichi stumbled down a pile of trash and trotted over to the pair, looking at the knight suspiciously. Looking at Rena again, he saw that so far she seemed to be unharmed and the knight hadn't drawn any kind of weapon. Still concerned, he decided to ask his girlfriend some questions, "Rena-chan, who is this guy?"

"Oh, this is Saber-san!" Rena introduced with a smile. "He appeared a little while ago and killed a Darkling that was going to try and eat me!"

"W-what?-!" the Kamen Rider gasped. A Darkling had actually shown up and tried to attack Rena. A sinking sensation dropped into his gut at the thought of the love of his life. Paling slightly, he furiously reminded himself that Rena was fine and that nothing had happened to her. Sighing, he turned to talk to Saber, "I guess I owe you-WAGH!"

The 'WAGH' part of Shinichi's speech came from the fact while he was becoming ready to blame himself for something happening to Rena, Saber had begun to approach him. As he was going to talk to the man, the knight had instead grabbed him by the wrist and yanked up his hand to see the red markings which decorated it.

"Saber-san! What are you doing to Shin-kun!-?" Rena cried angrily.

"Mistress, your lover is a Master in the Holy Grail War," Saber frowned. "Like you, he has a Servant as well. You are in danger by being near him!"

"I am not! Shin-kun would never hurt me!" Rena snapped, "He is-ah!" Rena looked down to see that the sword marking on her own hand had begun to heat up like Shinichi's when he had arrived. Saber's own eyes narrowed at the sight. It could only mean…

CLICK!

"Remove your hands from my Master Saber, or else you will lose your head!"

Standing atop one of the piles of trash was Rider, looking pissed with a pistol aimed right at Saber's head from where she stood.

"So, I was right," Saber said as he saw Rider. "He is indeed your Master."

"Servant Rider, at your service, now release my Master or I will fill you with holes, Saber," Rider threatened.

"Rider, stand down!"

"Saber-san, let Shin-kun go!"

"I can't do that Master, he's a Servant," Rider replied, not moving the aim of her pistol for a second. "He's our enemy in the Holy Grail War. Not to mention he has you in his grip. I can't let him go."

"Mistress, I have one of our enemies in my grip," Saber replied to Rena's outrage. "We will never have a more opportune moment than this to eliminate one of our rivals."

"Saber-san, don't you DARE try to hurt Shin-kun!" Rena shrieked, looking more and more like a wrathful god than Hanyuu could on her worst days. As she made the command though, the markings on her hand began to light up before the handle of her sword marking vanished. At the same time, Saber grimaced as if something was pulling against him before he let go of Shinichi's wrist and stepped away from him.

"As you wish, Mistress," Saber sighed.

On her perch, Rider began to smirk as she kept he gun trained on the knight, "Looks like you've got the girl wrapped around your finger, Master. Color me impressed."

"Rider…" Shinichi grimaced, rubbing his wrist. He felt Rena grab his ear. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"Shin-kun…who is she?" Rena growled. She already didn't like this woman, with the body and beauty of a supermodel, who was so familiar to her boyfriend.

Rider leapt off her perch, giving Saber a mocking smirk, as she introduced herself, "Servant of Shinichi Banabara. As I've said before I am Rider. And you must be Rena Ryuugu, the beloved of my Master and the Master of Saber." She smiled, "Well, isn't this an interesting situation?"

"Rider…you're not helping," Shinichi growled as Rena released him.

"So, Master, do you want me to deal with Saber?" Rider asked.

"I am ready when you are, Ms. Rider," said Saber as he reached for his sword.

"Rider, no fighting," commanded Shinichi.

Rider pouted, "You're no fun."

"Saber-san, don't fight Rider-san," Rena commanded.

Saber sighed. This was supposed to be a battle. Unfortunately for him, the enemy was also his Master's beloved. "As you wish, Mistress."

Rena and Shinichi gazed towards each other, silently. This was an awkward situation indeed. They had Servants, marking them as Masters, and they had to fight in some kind of mystic tournament with their Servants at their sides.

"Fate just loves fucking with me," Shinichi murmured.

"So…what should we do, Shin-kun?" asked Rena.

"Well, we're not going to get much done here," Shinichi sighed. Why oh why did Rena have to be chosen for this wild situation? Sure, she was special and downright precious to him but what would have made her stand out to whoever had decided who would take place in this Servant business? "I say we sleep on this for the night and see if we can figure out what to do tomorrow."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Rena agreed. "Maybe some of the others might have a good idea!"

"Maybe…" Shinichi sighed. "Right now though, I'm exhausted and I really need a bed."

"I'll chauffer you then," Rider nodded, holstering her guns. She glanced up at Saber with a smirk. "Unless Saber tries to run me through the back."

"Do not question my honor," Saber frowned. "We are not going to do battle so I will not draw my weapon."

"The word of honor from a knight, I suppose," shrugged Rider. "Come on, Master."

"Mistress, are you sure you wish to go with them?" Saber asked Rena worriedly.

"Saber-san, I know Shin-kun and I trust him," Rena said to her Servant. "Remember those stories I told you? Do you think he would betray me for a prize?"

Saber thought about her words, of how much Shinichi meant to her. That boy, while an enemy Master, was his own Master's beloved. She trusted him and he had not done anything to break that trust. With a reluctant sigh, Saber replied, "No, he would not."

Saber and Rena followed both Rider and Shinichi and reached the Showa-Racer. "You can go into the sidecar, girl," Rider instructed. "I think I'd like my Master riding behind me."

Shinichi blushed at the implication while Rena ground her teeth together. Saber knew that his Master would want Rider taken down. He could sense it. However, he would not attack. He had given his word. "I'll ride in the back," Rena volunteered.

Rider shrugged, "It's worth a shot."

"Saber-san, how will you travel?" Rena asked.

"Oh, we Servants can astralize ourselves and assume spiritual form," answered Saber. He demonstrated and vanished from sight. However, while she could not see her Servant, she could still sense his presence.

"Pretty convenient," Shinichi observed as he passed the spare helmet to Rena. "So, he's still there?"

"Yes, he is," Rider confirmed. "A Servant should always be near the Master. That's how it works." Rider straddled the bike as Shinichi got into the sidecar. Rena straddled the seat behind Rider. "Hold on to your hats, people!" She gunned the engine and took off. "Yeah! Wish we had these back in my time!"

* * *

><p>Rider and Shinichi dropped Rena off at her house and the red Servant watched as her Master and his girlfriend exchanged a goodnight kiss. Rider smiled. To see such affection was clearly touching. Waving goodbye, Shinichi went into the sidecar as Rena went into her house.<p>

"So, how do you feel about your girlfriend becoming a Master?" Rider asked.

"It feels like some cosmic force is having fun at my expense," retorted Shinichi.

Rider could understand his Master's dilemma.

"Do I have to fight her?" Shinichi asked.

"Well, not exactly. You see, a Master is a Servant's anchor to this world and are mortal so it's strategic to go after the Master. However, that is what a Servant is for. We are to be your weapons in combat, your swords and shields if you will. You could have me battle her Servant," said Rider. Shinichi frowned. "Something troubles you?"

"That guy, Saber, he's her Servant, right? You think he might try something?" Shinichi asked.

"A handsome knight like himself? Perhaps, perhaps not. We're from different eras, Master," Rider said.

"Just call me Shinichi," Shinichi told Rider. He really wasn't in the mood for her teasing, especially when it came to men he didn't know hanging around his Rena-chan. "I don't want my mother giving me odd looks when you call me that."

"You're letting your mother meet me?" Rider blinked.

"She's open-minded and used to weird things," Shinichi told her. "This wouldn't be the weirdest she has seen."

"So she knows about your transformation then," Rider concluded.

"Yeah, gave her a huge shock too. Now, come on. It's already pretty late." Rider nodded and the bike drove towards Shinichi's house.

* * *

><p>"Tadaima," Shinichi greeted as he entered his house.<p>

"Oh, Shinji," Shiori greeted. "And you've brought along another visitor."

"Hi," Rider greeted.

"Yeah, she came out of…" Shinichi paused once he caught what his mother just said. "What do you mean 'another' visitor?"

"Master Shinichi, your hand," Rider pointed and Shinichi could feel his Command Sigils heating up.

Shinichi entered with Rider, the redhead bowing slightly for intruding, as they dashed into the living room to see Hanyuu, Rika, and a green-haired man dressed in a blue outfit and sandals sitting in chairs with cups of tea as they chatted. Conversation of course died when they entered and a soft red light was coming from the back of Rika's hand.

"Does everyone I know have a Servant!-?" exclaimed Shinichi.

* * *

><p><strong>Ryuugu Residence<strong>

Rena's father wasn't home. That was good. She needed to be alone so she could scold Saber properly. "Saber-san," she called and at her command the knight Servant appeared before her.

"You called, Mistress?" he asked and then he was shocked when she slapped him in the face. It didn't hurt, but it did sting slightly. "Mistress?"

"You tried to hurt Shin-kun," she said sternly.

"Mistress, you have to understand, he is a Master in the Holy Grail War like you, and thus your natural enemy," Saber justified as he stood to full height. "Also, let me remind you that you only have two Command Sigils left since you used one to prevent me from doing my duty."

"You can fight Rider, but don't hurt Shin-kun," she told him. She didn't like the thought of such a tramp being near her boyfriend. It was like when that tramp Rina was all over her father. If Saber was meant to fight Rider, so be it, but she didn't want her boyfriend to be harmed in this Holy Grail War.

"As you wish, but have no doubt that Rider will fight me with everything she has, just as I will fight with everything I have for you, as your Servant."

Saber smiled, touched by his words, and then realized, "Oh, you must be hungry. Let me see if I can make you something, Saber-san."

"Mistress, we Servants don't need to-" But she was already gone. Saber chuckled slightly. "What an energetic young girl." He could tell the girl could be fierce when provoked. She had pretty much given him the green light to fight Rider, which in the grand scheme of things was for the best.

* * *

><p><strong>Banabara Residence (Before Shinichi Arrived)<strong>

Shiori was still working on her book when she heard a knock at the door. "Coming!" She went to the foyer, opened the door, and saw Rika, Hanyuu, and a handsome young men standing at the door. "Girls, where did you find this fine gentleman?"

"It's a long story, Shiori-mama," said Rika. "Can he come in?"

"Well, he is a guest," said Shiori. "You have quite an interesting wardrobe, Mr…"

"Archer. Call me Archer."

"An interesting name. Well, come in Archer. I'll go make some tea," Shiori invited him inside. The two girls and one young man entered the house and were led to the living room before Shiori made herself busy with the tea. Not knowing what else to do, Archer took a seat across from his little master.

"Master…I mean, Rika-sama, are you sure it's alright to inform your mother about me?" Archer asked. Although, he had to admit that he was surprised that the woman was taking his appearance in stride. He was even more surprised that she was so calm with the fact that he was in the company of her daughters.

"She'll have to find out sooner or later," said Rika. "Better now than later, I suppose. And she's open-minded and used to weird things already."

"Like your sister's horns?" Archer asked.

"Y-you can see them!-?" Hanyuu exclaimed.

"Hard not to," Archer said. "I know you are not a demon, though. You have a divine aura."

"She's a demi-goddess," Rika clarified. There was really no denying it at this point since he had seen Hanyuu's horns. They weren't something someone could pretend to see since there was no way of even suspecting that Hanyuu was anything but a small girl with the way she acted.

"Ah, I see," Archer nodded, sounding like he had heard of people who were connected to the divine as if it were everyday.

"Who also happens to be my ancestor too."

"Oh really?" Archer blinked, sounding most interested. It seemed he had stumbled onto quite the interesting Master.

"Yes, but Shiori-mama doesn't know about that sort of thing so please keep it quiet," Rika continued. "She's already dealt with so many weird things and she doesn't need to know about Hanyuu's origins either."

"My lips are sealed Master," Archer smiled.

"I'm back," Shiori announced as she brought in a tray loaded down with cups and tea for everyone to enjoy. Setting it down on the table, she took a seat with her adopted daughters and began pouring cups for everyone. "So Archer-san, just how do you know Rika-chan and Hanyuu-chan?"

"Rika-sama summoned me," Archer answered simply. He knew he could have made an excuse, but since Rika wanted to tell her mother the truth, then he would tell the truth.

"He appeared in the Saiguden in a big flash of light!" Hanyuu cried out. "It was a little scary, but then we saw him and when he heard us, he didn't do anything mean at all!"

"As if I could of anything mean to two small children," Archer chuckled as he claimed a cup of tea.

"You appeared in a flash of light?" Shiori asked, slightly confused. "Then where did you come from?"

"The Throne of Heroes," the green-haired man answered simply. Before he could elaborate, Shinichi had returned.

"Tadaima," Shinichi greeted as he entered his house. Shiori was already at the foyer to greet him.

"Oh, Shinji," Shiori greeted. She took notice of the redhead, "And you've brought along another visitor."

"Hi," Rider greeted.

"Yeah, she came out of…" Shinichi paused once he caught what his mother just said. "What do you mean 'another' visitor?"

"Master Shinichi, your hand," Rider pointed and Shinichi could feel his Command Sigils heating up.

Shinichi entered the living room with Rider, the redhead bowing slightly for intruding, as they dashed into the living room to see Hanyuu, Rika, and a green-haired man dressed in a blue outfit and sandals sitting in chairs with cups of tea as they chatted. Conversation of course died when they entered and a soft red light was coming from the back of Rika's hand.

"Does everyone I know have a Servant!-?" exclaimed Shinichi. He then looked to Rider, "Rider, don't you dare fight in my house!"

"Shinichi, you're a Master too?" Hanyuu exclaimed in shock.

"Master, who is this?" Archer asked Rika.

"My adopted brother," Rika answered calmly despite the heat in her Command Sigils.

"Well, isn't this an interesting situation," Shiori said to herself.

* * *

><p><strong>Sonozaki Residence<strong>

"Now, Jackie-chan, this is my home," Akane told the young girl as they stood in front of the Sonozaki Mansion. On a good day the Sonozaki Mansion would be considered imposing or downright frightening since everyone knew Oryo Sonozaki's reputation along with the hidden whispers of what she did in order to punish those who stepped too far out of line. So in terms of visitors, the Sonozakis didn't see many. Small children sometimes would whisper that the house was haunted.

"…home," she repeated. The pale child didn't seem to be intimidated in the least by what she was looking at. Rather, she just seemed to take it all in stride with the blank face she always had. It served to make Akane concerned, but she kept up the pleasant face in hopes that she could get the small girl to smile again.

"That's right, and you'll be living with me until we track down your family," Akane informed her. Assassin's grip on Akane's hand tightened at hearing that. Was her new mother going to abandon her like her old one? No, please let her not. She wanted a mother, needed a mother. She didn't want to be abandoned again. A mist started to manifest causing Akane to shiver from the sudden fall in temperature.

"How strange," Akane observed. It didn't get misty in Hinamizawa too often and definitely not so quickly. "Come on, let's go inside and I'll make you something to eat."

"…thank you, Mother." Again, Akane just wanted to cry at the softness in the girl's voice and wondered at just how much suffering the poor girl went through to latch onto the first woman who was nice to her enough to let her call her 'mother'. Still, she kept her resolve strong and face pleasant as not to cause Assassin any distress. Hands gently clasped together, they entered the mansion and travelled down the main hallway. It didn't take them long to reach one of the rooms as well as meet some people who lived there, such as Akane's eldest and her husband.

"Okaasan, okaeri nasai," Mion greeted. The tomboyish verdette was in the living room with her father. Both were enjoying some tea and snacks while Saburo was reading a newspaper and Mion was occupying herself with a magazine. The pair seemed to have been making small talk about their day while they had been waiting for her to return.

"Tadaima, Mion, Saburo," Akane greeted, walking into the living room with a smile.

"So, what did the doctor say?" Saburo asked. He had been worried for his wife since being so tired like she had been was not natural in his book. Despite being a yakuza boss, he was of the old mafia mindset that their group was a family and family took precedent over everything. He loved both his daughters dearly and while he despised some of the Sonozaki traditions which forced his youngest to live in an apartment by herself, he tried his best deal with them as best he could.

"He suggests I get some rest," Akane answered, reporting the doctor's advice. "Other than that, I'm perfectly fine."

Mion smiled, glad to hear that her mother was in perfect health after all and not suffering from some illness like her father had made it sound like in all of his worrying. Looking at her mother though, she noticed that one of her hands was hidden behind her back and a tiny hand was clutching the side of her kimono. "Okaasan, what's that behind you?"

Akane smiled tenderly, addressing the young girl. "Don't be shy, Jackie-chan."

"Jackie-chan?" Saburo and Mion repeated. Then they saw poking her head out from behind Akane a little girl with pale hair and tanned skin. With some coaxing from Akane, the little one then revealed herself fully, dressed in a midnight blue kimono.

"Say hello, child. These are my daughter and husband."

"…hello," Assassin greeted and she bowed. "Nice…to meet you."

"Akane, who's this?" Saburo asked, curious and concerned.

"I found her in an alley in Okinomiya," said Akane, sounding upset as she remembered the state she'd found the little girl in and the way she'd been dressed. Deciding to let her family meet the girl and to distract herself from getting too angry about the condition she found Assassin in, she decided to make good on the promise she made to the small girl. "Jackie-chan, please stay here while I make you something to eat."

Assassin nodded and went into the living room and sat down at the side of the living room table, keeping an equal distance away from both father and daughter. Mion and Saburo looked at their new guest and then at Akane who made her way to the kitchen. They both knew that it was extremely out of character for Akane to just bring home a child out of the blue, but they also knew that there had to be a reason for it. Mion and Saburo glanced at each other before silently agreeing that they needed to know more about the situation.

"So…Okaasan found you," said Mion.

Assassin nodded.

"In an alley," Mion continued.

Another nod.

"What were you doing in an alley?" Mion asked.

Assassin didn't answer but Mion noticed she was trembling slightly.

"Sorry, sorry," Mion apologized quickly. It must've been pretty bad and her mother wouldn't have brought in a stranger into their home without a good reason. The picture as to where Assassin had come from and why Akane had brought her home was getting clearer, as well as uglier. "Are you…an orphan?"

Assassin nodded at that question.

"So, why did Okaasan take you home with her?" Mion asked.

"…mother."

"Huh?" Mion and Saburo responded.

"…she is…mother."

"Mother…you want Akane to be your mother?" Saburo asked.

Assassin nodded in response. Mion and Saburo looked to each other again in concern. It was obvious that the white-haired girl was perhaps slightly traumatized or had become emotionally dependant on Akane despite only having known each other for a short time. Either way, it was definitely not a good sign.

Further interrogation was put on hold when Akane returned with a tray. "It's not much," she said as she came in and put down a bowl of rice and a plate of rolled up omelet (tamagoyaki) in front of Assassin, "But this should fill your stomach."

Assassin looked to Akane before picking up the chopsticks. She took a piece of tamagoyaki and took a small bite on it. "…delicious," she murmured and she continued to eat at a slow pace, savoring even the rice. "…thank you, Mother." Akane smiled and gently patted Assassin's head.

"Akane, could I talk to you, in private?" Saburo requested.

"Oh, alright." She asked, "Mion, would you look after Jackie-chan for me."

"Sure, Okaasan."

* * *

><p>Both Saburo and Akane had relocated to his office inside the Sonozaki house. It was guaranteed to be private since not even the bodyguards were permitted inside and Saburo had put his own personal security devices on everything so if someone was able to get in, he'd know who, how, and when. There was also soundproofing in the walls so no one could overhear any conversations.<p>

"Akane, you found her in an alley?" Saburo asked.

"Yes, and I couldn't just leave her," Akane reasoned.

"She's not a stray animal," the yakuza boss sighed. Oh, leaving a child alone in an alley wasn't what he felt any decent person could do but to pick up the child and bring them into their homes rather than to the authorities? That wasn't exactly what would be called a good idea.

"You didn't see how I found her! It was awful!" Akane was almost close to tears. Seeing the question in her husband's eyes at such an outburst, Akane explained how she had found Assassin and even described the clothes she had been forced to wear. Saburo paled at her words and his eyes narrowed in outrage.

"Disgusting." You could tell he was thinking of finding this pervert and punishing him for forcing a young girl to do something so awful. A crime boss he may have been, but there were some crimes he nor anyone he worked with would never touch in a million years. Child prostitution was one of them. In fact, he'd had his men hunt down and kill people like that who showed up inside his territory. Tabling his anger for a moment, he tried to be the voice of reason, "But…she might have family."

"I know, that's why I'll make a report, but I have the feeling that she doesn't have any family alive," said Akane, remembering how Assassin had looked at her. Her face was blank, but there seemed to be this spark of life in those deep wells that the little one called eyes. "She called me 'mother'."

"I know," Saburo nodded.

"And it was like she never had a mother in her entire life. It's heartbreaking," Akane continued.

"You win, you win" Saburo sighed. There was no way he'd win this argument and to be perfectly honest he really didn't want to either. He just had to play devil's advocate until he heard a good reason as to why Akane did what she did. "It's perfectly fine by me if she stays, but…your mother…"

"I'll take care of my mother," said Akane. She would not let her mother toss out a young girl, alone, out on the streets. Akane, oddly, felt a close bond with Assassin despite only just meeting her. She supposed it was her own maternal instincts reaching out to a child who obviously never knew what it meant to have a mother in the first place.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Akane," said Saburo. He had hundreds of trained men who would pump a person full of lead in a heartbeat, bodyguards who were in demand by politicians and executives, hitmen at his beck and call who could kill people without leaving a trace and he still wouldn't try to go up against Oryo Sonozaki unless it was important. The old woman was as shrewd as they came and there was always something about her that put him on edge.

"Well, I did defy her and marry you, didn't I?" Akane reminded, "And even if she disinherited me for it, she still keeps you around because you're useful."

Saburo rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Jackie-chan, do you like games?" Mion asked as Assassin ate, only getting no response as the young Servant focused on her meal and not on the green-haired girl. "Okaasan is going to make you go to school, you know. My friends and I have this Gaming Club. You're welcome to join." Assassin glanced up at Mion, blinked, before she resumed eating. Mion sighed. Maybe it was best that she wait until Assassin finished eating.<p>

"Jackie-chan." Akane's voice caused Assassin to pause in her eating. "The bath is ready for you. Are you done with your meal?"

Assassin looked at her meal and quickly finished up the remainder of it before standing up, giving Akane a smile. Akane lent a hand to her and Assassin took it before Akane took her to the bathroom.

Assassin was stripped naked and Akane did the same before joining her. The older woman instructed the younger girl to sit on the stool. She did and Akane filled a basin with warm water from the tub before pouring it over the girl who stiffened at the contact. Assassin was not used to warm bathes. Akane then applied soap to her body and lathered her up. She even put shampoo into assassin's hair. Akane cleaned up the girl who relaxed and sighed as she was gently washed by Akane. Akane then rinsed Assassin off with another basin of warm water.

"And now, we soak," Akane instructed as she helped Assassin into the large tub, joining her. The young girl stayed close to Akane and the woman looped an arm gently around her shoulders.

"…thank you, for the meal and the bath," answered Assassin softly. "…Mother…"

"You're welcome. Since we don't have any rooms prepared, you'll be sleeping with Mion, tonight," said Akane. Hearing this, Assassin shook her head rapidly. "Jackie-chan…"

"No, don't leave me," Assassin said firmly. "Don't…leave me." She had tears welling in her eyes.

Akane looked apologetic and sympathetic, "I'm sorry, but it will be alright. I'll be here if you need me but you'll need to sleep." Akane kissed Assassin's temple. "Trust me, alright?"

Assassin looked up at her Master's face with a smile and nodded.

* * *

><p>"Guess we're roommates, huh?" Mion questioned as an extra futon was laid out for Assassin. Assassin was given a traditional robe to sleep in, much like Mion and the elder of the Sonozaki twins had to admit she looked downright adorable. Assassin stared up at the older girl without showing much emotion. It made the room feel awkward, and it made Mion uncomfortable. And Assassin's eyes…where had she seen them before? Assassin nodded and crawled into the second futon, pulling the blanket over her body as she planted her head on the pillow. "Well…goodnight."<p>

"Goodnight," Assassin replied.

"You know, if you're going to call my mother your mother, then you might as well call me your sister," Mion suggested. Assassin turned her head to stare at Mion. "How's that, Jackie-chan? Let Mion-sama become your Onee-chan?" Assassin didn't respond and turn away. Mion grumbled. Some people…

"Onee…chan."

Mion blinked and looked at Assassin before smiling softly. "Goodnight, Jackie-chan."

* * *

><p><strong>Banabara Residence<strong>

"More tea, Rider-san?" Shiori offered.

"Oh, thank you," Rider accepted. Now everyone was seated around the dining table. Archer had been about to explain about the Throne of Heroes before Rider and Shinichi's arrival.

Again, two Servants and their respective Masters were within close proximity each other. What irony. Siblings, and yet enemies at the same time. Thankfully, Rider and Archer hadn't leaped at one another like she and Saber were preparing to earlier.

"Fate's a bitch, it has to be," Shinichi murmured. Archer gave him a disapproving look. "What?"

"You shouldn't use foul language among ladies," Archer admonished.

"Then you haven't read my mother's books yet," Shinichi retorted.

"I don't use that much foul language," Shiori sighed. "And even so, Rika-chan and Hanyuu-chan haven't read them before so please watch your tongue, Shinji."

Shinichi grimaced, but nodded, "Hai, Kaa-chan."

Rider snickered into her tea, watching her master get cowed so easily after killing a monster and staring down Servant Saber by his own mother of all people. Still, she didn't want to tempt fate by having the woman turn her attentions onto her. Well, she could tease him later for it.

"So, you two are in fact legendary heroes from the past?" Shiori asked, sounding very interested in the concept behind the Heroic Spirits. "So would we have heard of you?"

"Most definitely," Archer nodded. "That's why we take the titles of our class instead of revealing our true names. It protects our identities and hided our weaknesses."

"Ooooh," the author grinned, finding the concept to be very interesting.

"What exactly make you guys legendary anyway?" Shinichi asked, curious.

"Our actions, achievements and accomplishments," Archer answered. "And then we become legendary in legends and tales told by people. Thus, those legends define us when we are summoned."

"So, words have power," Shiori concluded.

"That's pretty accurate, even our skills and abilities are considered legendary themselves and even if we were only human in life, once we become Heroic Spirits and become summoned as Servants we become superhuman," Rider added, "We have to since we'll be fighting and so we need the power to fight for our Masters."

"So, if the Servants fight, what is the purpose of the Masters?" Shiori asked, looking at both Rika and Shinichi.

"To supply us with energy," Rider answered.

"Wait, so I'm just a battery for you?" Shinichi asked.

"Kinda, yeah. We Servants can only exist with energy supplied by our Masters," Rider answered.

"Wait…is that why I was feeling exhausted earlier?" Shinichi asked.

"You too?" Rika questioned. Shinichi nodded.

"The summoning ritual does require the Master's energy to complete," Archer stated.

"So, then the Master would be a Servant's weakness, am I right?" Shiori asked.

"Since they are our anchor in this world, yes," Rider confirmed. "So, in a strategic sense, it's always easier to go after the Master rather than confront the Servant in battle. Like taking out the horse if you want to take down the rider."

"Yeah…don't think we'll be doing that unless the enemy Master is a psycho or something," Shinichi frowned.

"The same," Rika nodded.

"Au, au, au," Hanyuu trembled, not liking the thought of such violence at all. Shiori was on the girl in a heartbeat like a good mother shoulder, wrapping an arm around her to try and calm her down.

"There, there, Hanyuu-chan," Shiori reassured her adopted daughter. "Nothing bad is going to happen to our friends. We'll figure all this out."

"Just how many Servants are out there?" asked Rika.

"Seven," answered Archer. "Archer, Rider, Saber, Assassin, Caster, Lancer, and Berserker."

"I don't like the sounds of some of those guys," Shinichi frowned. "Assassin? Berserker? How do people who get like that end up as Heroic Spirits?"

"You don't have to be truly heroic to end up at the Throne of Heroes," Rider replied, draining her cup. "Anti-Heroes end up there too and those are the ones famous for all of the wrong reasons."

"Scandalous," Shiori commented, sounding even more intrigued by the story.

* * *

><p>The following morning, Shinichi started to awake due to the alarm clock. He reached for it but his face ended up pressed against something soft, and it was not his pillow. He opened his eyes, and they bulged as he realized what he had pressed himself again.<p>

"Good morning, Master," Rider smiled. It wasn't shocking that she was in his bed. It was shocking that she was in his bed, completely NAKED! Crying out in shock, Shinichi rolled off his bed and onto the floor. Rider reached for the alarm clock, shutting it off.

"Why-why-why are you naked in my bed!-?" he shouted, pointing at Rider who didn't even bother covering herself up with the blanket as it was draped over her back.

"What? You expect me to sleep in my clothes? So inconsiderate," she teased. To be honest, she didn't really need to sleep, she just felt like it. "Although I must thank you for letting me share your bed. Although, I'm sure we could have thought of some better things to do than sleep."

"I did not say you could share my bed!" Shinichi cried. "What about that futon Kaa-chan lent you?-!"

"Got lonely," Rider shrugged, sitting up and baring her body for Shinichi to see. He quickly discovered that she was indeed a natural redhead and that her chest was indeed as big as he-no! He shook his head to clear the dirty thoughts. He had Rena-chan!

"I'm going to get breakfast!" he cried, dashing from the room.

"So easy," Rider giggled as he left. Unashamedly getting up from the bed, she began to look for her clothes. Maybe another surprise for her master was in order?

* * *

><p>Downstairs, everyone could hear the noise coming from Shinichi's bedroom. "It seems Rider-san has already woken him up," Shiori giggled.<p>

Archer gave Shiori an incredulous look, "You seem to take this in stride."

"She's grown used to it," said Rika as she bit into her toast. Shinichi came down to join the others for breakfast. "Good morning."

"Yeah, too good," mumbled Shinichi. "Oh, morning, Archer."

"Good morning," Archer greeted politely. "Where's your Servant?"

"Still upstairs…and hopefully not trying to give me another heart attack," he answered a little grumpily. It wasn't even the first time she'd shocked him. When she had said she would serve him, she hadn't been kidding. Last night when he was taking a bath, Rider had volunteered to scrub his back. Thankfully, she had been wearing a towel, but still it left little to the imagination.

Shinichi didn't need to wait long to learn of his Servant's playful nature. Was she just doing this to mess with him?

Rider came walking down, properly dressed, and pouted, "Master, why did you run? I thought we were getting so close."

Shinichi blushed as she posed, leaning forward to display her cleavage.

"So, what is the plan for today?" Archer asked.

"We're going to show you around the village," Rika answered.

"A guided tour," added Hanyuu, "But you might want to change into something befitting this era."

"I have clothes which Rider-san can borrow, but I'm afraid nothing Shinichi has will fit you Archer-san," Shiori offered, but then perked up. "Oh, I think Kasai-kun left a change of clothes here the last time he came over."

Shinichi stiffened slightly and glanced at his mother to see a silly grin on her face as she seemed to recall something. The Kamen Rider tried desperately not to think about any man laying his hands on his mother, despite logic telling him that Shiori was still very attractive and a lot of the village men showed interest in her. He'd break some bones if they tried to touch her though, but since Kasai wasn't there and he was a trained bodyguard who could kick Shinichi's butt when he wasn't transformed, Shinichi wasn't about to make a scene. Besides, Shinichi would have been scolded something fierce by his mother for even trying to hurt Kasai for dating her.

"I think they'd fit you if you'd like to try them, Archer-san," Shiori offered.

"That's very generous of you ma'am," Archer commented. "But that won't be necessary." With a wave of magic Archer's attire changed, turning into a blue buttoned up shirt with blue jeans. Rider did the same, snapping her fingers as she changed into something befitting the era, but still with her usual style. She now wore a black t-shirt with blue denim shorts and her thigh high boots. Over this she wore her coat but it hung from her shoulders like a cape and her arms were not in the sleeves.

"Wow, that's a pretty convenient trick," admired Shiori.

"It allows us Servants to blend into modern society. We can also astralize and turn invisible," Archer explained.

"Hey, Master, does this outfit make my butt look big?" Rider asked, turning around to show off the feature in question with a teasing grin on her face.

Shinichi was smart enough not to dignify her question with a response. This was a question with no right answer.

* * *

><p>"So, I guess we never did this before, so I think it's best to say it now," said Rika. She cleared her throat and announced, "Welcome to Hinamizawa! Nipah!" Rika's greeting was cute and adorable, which would often warrant her being kidnapped by Rena. Hanyuu had also become victim to Rena's 'omochikaeri' moments. "Now, come on, let me show you everything."<p>

"Lead the way, Rika-sama," said Archer.

"Letting your little sister lead?" Rider asked.

"She's been here longer," shrugged Shinichi.

* * *

><p><strong>Sonozaki Residence<strong>

After breakfast, Akane had sent Mion out to do some clothes shopping with Assassin. Meanwhile, the woman was having a private meeting with her elderly mother. She had said that she would take care of the matter involving Assassin and she intended to do just that. She also considered if she should make a police report or not. Strangely, last night, she had a very vivid dream. She was in some kind of dark city with a thick mist. She wasn't sure where the city was but she knew it wasn't anywhere in Japan. The people in the city were definitely not Japanese and obviously not of her era judging by their clothing. Still, she woke up before she got a clear clue of what her dream was about.

Akane sat before Oryo, the old woman wearing a scowl as always. That was her default expression, of course. "I hope this is important, Akane," she said to her daughter.

"I wish to ask a favor, Okaa-sama," said Akane before explaining herself. Oryo's eyes widened slightly before narrowing.

"And you brought this child here, into our home?" Oryo questioned her daughter's decision.

"I simply could not leave her," Akane reasoned.

"Such a thing should be left to the police, child," Oryo recommended, in that harsh tone of hers.

"Maybe so, but…" What could Akane say to justify her reason for bringing Assassin to their home? "She didn't look like she had any food or a good shelter in quite some time."

"Considering she was being used for child prostitution…I wouldn't be surprised…" murmured Oryo. Child services would need to be called on this matter. As much as she didn't want to have to deal with the situation since it wasn't Sonozaki or Hinamizawa business, it couldn't be avoided. Even she had her limits on what was acceptable. "Have you made a police report?"

"I will, after this, Okaa-sama," said Akane.

"And where is this child?" Oryo asked.

"I had Mion take her out shopping for new clothes."

* * *

><p><strong>Okinomiya<strong>

Shogo was following close behind Mion who was in Okinomiya with Assassin. The pale-haired girl was holding Mion's hand. It had been a bit of a struggle for Akane to convince the little girl to go with Mion. She had not wanted to leave Akane's side.

Shogo, thinking of Akane's actions, smiled. She was definitely a kind woman, the type of woman who should be leading the Sonozaki Clan. However, since Oryo had disinherited her, the old woman remained as Clan Head for many years, grooming Mion for the position and letting her inherit it once she had passed on.

Mion had enough money to make the purchases for Assassin. She didn't just need new clothes, but underwear as well. Mion had told Shogo what had happened the previous night and where Assassin had come from. He was quite disgusted to hear that some pervert had been abusing a little girl like that, but he was glad to know Akane had managed to take her away from it all. Despite how cynical some of his fellow NEO-NUMBERS could be, it felt good knowing there were still good people left in the world.

Looking at the small girl though, there was something about her that made him uneasy. He really couldn't put his finger on what it was, but it wasn't something that he liked. When they first met, she stared at him for a moment as if determining if he was a threat or not. He was tense ever since then and every time Mion wasn't looking, the white-haired girl would glance back at him with those blank eyes of hers, making sure he was right where he should be.

"Okay Jackie-chan, here we are!" Mion announced as they stood in front of a clothing store. "Now let's get you a brand new wardrobe!"

"…OK, Onee-chan," answered Jackie. Mion smiled proudly at being called 'Onee-chan'. It was just like how Satoko would call Shion 'Nee-nee'. She would so brag about this to her twin sister.

"I'll remain out here, Mion-sama," volunteered Shogo.

"OK, suit yourself," said Mion, "But be prepared to carry our bags."

Shogo knew very well from his experience with the women in his life that women shopped a lot.

The clothing store was something special to Mion as it gave her family a discount. A member of her family owned the place so the staff recognized the heiress easily. The girl with her was a new sight but she told them that she was a guest at their home and needed new clothes. The staff immediately went to work. Assassin tensed up as she saw one of them bring over a measuring tape like a strangling wire and clung closely to Mion.

"She's going to take your measurements," Mion assured Assassin. "Just relax. Then we can see what will fit you."

Assassin stared up at Mion with her big blue eyes and gave a nod. She didn't smile and Mion was determined to get Assassin to smile soon. This was a challenge she would not lose.

Standing outside, Shogo checked his watch. "Maybe I should've brought something to read," he suggested to himself. It was better than just standing outside, leaning against the wall, as Mion and Assassin shopped. This shopping trip was for that little girl who had come out of nowhere and he really didn't have anything he needed to do while in town like the girls did.

And those eyes of hers. It was like staring at the same eyes Shinichi had back when he used to be a member of GIN-SHOCKER. No life, no desire, no reasoning. She was just there to simply survive and exist with little or no reason to beyond the need for another singular person. For the little girl, that seemed to be Akane, the woman who unconditionally showed her affection and care without asking for anything in return.

Shogo had wild theories running through his mind. Could Assassin be one of GIN-SHOCKER's attempt to recreate the NUMBERS but with new subjects? Could she have escaped when the organization was destroyed? There was clearly something unnatural about her, he just couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe he could consult Lucifer about it. Being a demon herself she should be pretty knowledgeable about the paranormal. It sounded ridiculous but that little girl was a little creepy.

Then again, with how she'd been treated as some kind of sex toy it was no wonder she was this way.

* * *

><p>Akane left the Okinomiya Police Station after making her report. She had submitted Assassin's description and hopefully they could track down someone from her family. However, Akane was starting to have her doubts.<p>

When she awoke this morning, she saw strange markings had been put on the back of her right hand which resembled three daggers crossed together. She had tried to clean it off but it was like the markings had been permanently branded onto her skin like a tattoo. She had expertly hid these marking from her family. She didn't want them to assume that she had gotten a tattoo. Well, not another one. She still had that oni tattoo on her back when she used to be the heiress. Mion also sported the same tattoo. It was a tradition in the Sonozaki Clan, after all.

"She should be in town with Mion and Shogo-kun," Akane recalled. Maybe she could catch them?

* * *

><p><strong>Houjou Residence<strong>

Satoshi awoke as the rays of sunshine came through the window and hit his face. As he sat up, he saw Caster sitting against the wall with a book in hand. "Oh, Caster. You're awake."

"And good morning to you, Master Satoshi," greeted Caster. "This is quite an interesting book," said Caster as he flipped a page. "This author has commendable skills in descriptive and narrative writing."

Satoshi saw the book and blushed as he realized that Caster was reading the book Shion had lent him. It was a book written by Shiori Banabara herself.

"Where did you find that?" Satoshi asked.

"Oh, it was lying on the floor," said Caster offhandedly. "I wouldn't recommend your little sister reading this, though."

"It's not mine," Satoshi immediately denied.

"Ah, so I suppose your girlfriend lent it to you?" Caster inquired, watching in amusement as Satoshi blushed. "I thought so." Caster's eyes went back to scanning the pages. "I really wish I could speak to this author."

"It's not that hard," Satoshi remarked. "She lives right here in the village."

Now that got Caster's attention. "Really? Oh, I would love to meet her then. We would have a lot to talk about."

Satoshi grimaced. Could he entertain Caster's request and introduce him to Shiori. She was the mother of a Kamen Rider and would no doubt had already gotten used to all the strangeness which occurred in the city. However, he just wasn't sure if that was a good idea. But then again, could it really hurt? Maybe Satoshi could get Caster out of his hair for a few hours so he could get his head together with all that was going on.

"Well, after breakfast I suppose we could go see her," Satoshi offered.

"Splendid!" the green-clad Servant smiled. "I look forward to speaking to a fellow artist in the field of the written word!"

"Uh…sure," the blonde boy sweatdropped. "Can you leave and let me get dressed now?"

* * *

><p>Breakfast had been a quick affair and unfortunately Shion had to leave since she had a shift at Angel Mort to get to. That left Satoko and Satoshi to guide Caster to Shiori's house where he could speak with the author. So once they were ready, the trio set out for their destination.<p>

Caster hadn't seen fit to make the journey peaceful though. He looked everywhere, wanting to capture the detail of Hinamizawa's natural features. He would also ask numerous questions about the place, wanting to know about the history and recent events he might be able to work into his work. Aside from the dealings of GIN-SHOCKER, and that weird group of men attempting to kill everyone in the village in the misguided belief that it would stop the Hinamizawa Syndrome, there was the Dam Wars and neither Houjou was willing to entertain those memories again. Caster didn't seem to get the message though as he asked question, after question, after question.

"He's annoying, Nii-nii," Satoko whispered as Caster was off admiring some of the forest scenery.

"I know Satoko, but we have to deal with him for now," Satoshi sighed. "At least until we know what's going on and we can decide what to do next after that."

"I say we let one of the other Servants take care of him," suggested Satoko.

"Satoko!" the elder brother admonished.

* * *

><p><strong>Shishibone City – Kimiyoshi Residence<strong>

Natsumi's initial idea was to go straight to Hinamizawa to try and settle the War as soon as she could. However, the idea was instantly shot down when she asked her parents about going to visit her grandfather in Hinamizawa. As expected, her grandma was all for it being a lady of traditional values who wanted to get her family back to their traditional grounds. However, her parents shot the idea down saying she had school to worry about first and if a school break would come soon they would consider it but for the time being going to Hinamizawa would be out of the question.

"So much for that idea," Natsumi mumbled as she headed off to school.

"_So it seems we're stuck?_" asked Lancer, walking next to his Master in astralized form.

"Yeah," Natsumi nodded. "Now the only think to make this worse is by having someone like Berserker break down my door looking for us."

"_They likely won't know where you are yet,_" Lancer offered, but his face didn't look optimistic. "_They'll likely figure it out eventually though._"

"Thanks for that comforting thought," Natsumi frowned. "_So, what now?_"

"_I could scout around for you,_" Lancer suggested. "_Unlike you I am not bound by any rules to keep me here. I can also find information for you and fight when necessary._"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Natsumi asked. "Go on, get to it."

"_I'm surprised you've adapted so quickly to your role as a Master,_" Lancer admitted, amused.

"Freaking out won't do me any good, and I learnt a long time ago that you just have to make the best of what life gives you. This Holy Grail War just falls into my lap without warning, I might as well play my part." She also added, "Plus, this is like really fantastic!" Her life had been rather boring. However, at school, the kids talked about those Kamen Riders who would fight monsters near her hometown. She wanted that sense of adventure and Lancer had just given her the ticket, even if it was only through him. "Say, Lancer, is there a way for me to see what you see?"

Lancer was silent for a moment as he considered her request, "_Well…there might be. Masters have a strong connection to their Servants so perhaps there is a way. It would be easier if you were capable of using magic…_"

"Which I can't," Natsumi muttered.

"_Then I'll have to see if I can manage something,_" Lancer replied. "_I know a little of how the process works thanks to the Grail. I may be able to figure out what to do._"

"Great!" Natsumi smiled. "This way we can still work together in winning this War."

"_It's nice to be optimistic,_" Lancer smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Hinamizawa Area<strong>

Rika took the two Servants around Hinamizawa, pointing out several landmarks. The first was the sacred Furude Shrine which Archer noted as the place of his summoning. The next place they visited was the Irie Clinic. Then, of course, the Hinamizawa School that Rika attended with her friends. During the tour, Rika told the two Servants the history of Hinamizawa.

"So, originally, this Watanagashi Festival involved human sacrifices?" Rider asked.

"Yes, but then the practice was changed due to its barbaric nature and thus a large futon filled with cotton donated by the villagers was used instead," said Rika. "The purpose is still the same. The cotton balls being sent adrift represented the sins being cleansed."

"I see the symbolic reasoning," Archer agreed. "It's too bad this people village will be turned into a battle field."

"Shin-kun!"

* * *

><p>Rena was showing Saber around and her Servant had also donned modern clothing. His armor would've attracted too much attention. He now wore what appeared to be a brown business suit with a white shirt under the blazer and a red necktie. His long, wavy brown hair was pulled into a neat and tidy ponytail. As Rena was showing her Servant around, Saber being amused by his Master's cute antics, she noticed Rika, Shinichi and Hanyuu along the way. She scowled when she saw Rider, of course, but Archer was a new face. Her Command Sigils glowed and became hot, detecting the presence of a Servant but now the intensity had been doubled. The only conclusion was that Archer was a Servant.<p>

"Shin-kun!" Rena ran towards Shinichi and hugged him before giving him a surprise kiss on the lips. "Konnichiwa!"

"Konnichiwa, Rena-chan," smiled Shinichi. He greeted Saber curtly, "Saber."

Saber gave a nod in greeting and looked up at Rider who smirked.

"Three Servants and no fighting," Rider sighed dramatically. "Your sword might become rusty if you are unable to draw it in battle, Saber."

"Shin-kun, did Rider do anything to you?" Rena asked.

Shinichi blushed, remembering the things Rider had done and immediately denied, "She behaved…"

Rena narrowed her eyes, knowing he was lying. She hated when he lied but she wouldn't fault him. Shinichi would never do anything to hurt her. It was that Rider woman's fault. She may be her boyfriend's Servant but she had no right to get in between them. Saber's proposal to eliminate Rider was still tempting, though. She just needed to prevent Shinichi from being harmed. "Shin-kun, who's this Servant?" she asked, referring to Archer.

"I am Archer, and Rika-sama is my Master."

"Really?" Rena asked in amazement. "How did that happen?"

"I don't know," answered Rika, "But working together we might find answers." The seriousness in her tone and expression just made her look so…

"Kawaii~!" Rena squealed, pulling Rika in a hug and twirling her around. "Rika-chan's so serious but she's so cute! Hau~! I wanna take you home!"

"She does this a lot," Shinichi explained to Archer as he stared at the display. Rena let go of Rika then went and wrapped an arm around Shinichi's.

"Let's go, then!" Rena beamed.

* * *

><p><strong>Okinomiya<strong>

Assassin examined herself in the mirror. All sorts of clothing had been picked out for her and now she was in a black t-shirt with a blue denim skirt.

Mion noticed that Assassin was slender with wide hips to. She would've had a perfect hour glass figure if she had, well, bigger breasts. Then again, the girl was only twelve or thirteen and had some time before she would develop attributes like that. Although, it was obvious to her that the pale-haired girl was going to be a heartbreaker when she got older. Well, it was a good thing she'd have an onee-chan like her to keep her on the straight and narrow!

"How do you like it, Jackie-chan?" Mion asked.

Assassin looked at Mion, '_She's so kind, like Mother_.' Of course this was her new mother's first born so of course she'd be kind as well.

"We're going to need to buy a whole wardrobe for you," Mion contemplated out loud.

It was turning into a fashion show as Assassin switched clothes, looking at herself in the mirror. Mion even tried to accessorize her hair with ribbons, barrettes and clips. She couldn't help herself. It was like playing dress up. With Assassin's cute face, she just couldn't resist.

Assassin looked at herself in the black, one-piece bathing suit which Mion said would be good for the beach. It was almost winter now so that was out of the question until at least late spring or early summer.

Some hats were also suggested for Assassin as well. She little girl accepted all of the suggestions in stride and didn't say much of anything. Still, Mion liked to think she had an eye for determining how much fun people were having and she would claim with certainty that the little girl was having fun picking out a brand new wardrobe for herself. Well, Mion did more of the picking than Assassin did, but she was still enjoying herself.

And then the screams started…

"EEEYAAAAHHHH!"

Assassin's head perked up as she wore a purple blouse with a black skirt. Mion likewise stiffened when the noises reached her ears, "Stay here Jackie-chan!"

Mion dashed to the front of the store where Shogo was already in the street to face what was coming. Sticking her head out of the door, Mion scowled to see that a Darkloid was scurrying down the streets. It was shaped like a cockroach and was dropping black saliva on the streets which made a sizzling noise. It crawled over cars and left them half melted in its wake. It was truly a twisted nightmare.

"Shogo!" Mion cried.

"On it Mion-sama!" Shogo nodded before he summoned his Spark Core belt. "Henshin!"

In a flash of light, Shogo transformed into his NEO-NUMBERS persona, Zero. The Wasp Rider quickly took his battle stance and watched as the Roach Darkloid took notice of him. The creature hissed and lost interest in the chaos surrounding it and instead focused on the Kamen Rider. Zero prepared to take on the Darkloid himself. It was nothing he couldn't take on but he never went into battle arrogant. That would spell the end of him.

That was when the mist interrupted things.

It had rolled in supernaturally fast, engulfing everything in a thick cloud. Normally that really wouldn't be a problem for Zero whose alterations had been made to include weather patterns so he would be able to see through a simple cloud of mist. However, it quickly became clear that the mist was by no means ordinary. Despite all of his alteration, Zero couldn't see through the mist. It all looked like thick smoke to him.

"What the hell?" he frowned. This was not natural.

"RAAAAGH!" the Darkloid screeched, alerting everyone to the fact that it was still there.

"Aw hell," Zero grimaced, knowing that this fight got a lot harder. Preparing to charge, he heard something which chilled him to the bone.

"EYYAAA—GCK!"

The screech of pain sounded off before it was seemingly cut off by the sounds of metal cutting flesh. The sounds were rapid, and loud as they echoed through the unnatural mist. It unnerved even Zero who was used to hearing such sounds. Terror echoed in the Darkloid's screams before they were brutally cut off. He didn't think it was possible for a Darkloid to feel fear. Deciding to screw waiting for something to come to him, he began dashing through the mist. It was thick enough to cut with a knife, but his helmet had recorded what the street looked like before the mist moved in so he was able to reach the appropriate place where he last saw the Darkloid.

…only he wished he didn't.

"Oh…Kami!" he gagged.

The Darkloid was on its back and gurgling pathetically, black sludge overflowing from its mouth and pooling on the street. Its right arm was missing at it seemed like the tendons in its ankles had been cut to keep it from running away. The torso was cut wide open and looked like it was filled with ground beef with a black pool spreading from behind its back. To the side of the monster though was several organs which looked like they were halfway from turning to dust like a Darkloid would. What bones were visible looked like they had been broken to get out of the way of the vital organs.

The Darkloid was in a word, eviscerated.

With a final choke, the creature died and its body began to rapidly decompose, leaving a big black stain in the middle of the road. Soon after, the mist began to clear and all that was left was the empty street.

"All right Shogo! You got it!" Mion cheered from where she stood. Beside her, the white-haired girl was clutching Mion's pants tightly and looked to be a little out of breath. Zero figured that the little one had been terrified by the monster and ran to Mion in a near panic attack. He didn't want to traumatize the poor girl by reporting what he saw. He'd mention it later when she wasn't around to listen.

"I think we should go home now," said Shogo as he allowed his armor to deactivate. He would need to report this to Dr. Magi. Something had killed the Darkloid and he was sure it wasn't one of them. His helmet had managed to capture the image of the Darkloid before it dissolved. Maybe he could check with the others to find out who, or what, had killed it.

"Yeah, you're right," said Mion. "Oh, and we're going to need you to carry the bags."

Shogo sighed. "Hai, Mion-sama."

"Hey, how about we stop at Angel Mort for a quick bite? It'll help us calm out nerves" Mion suggested. She said to Assassin, "You'll love it, Jackie-chan."

* * *

><p>They ended up running into Akane who had come to see how the group was faring now that she had dealt with the issue of her mother and as soon as Assassin saw her the little Servant went and hugged her Master around the waist. Akane took a good look at Assassin to see her dressed in a purple blouse and black skirt. Assassin just looked cute in those clothes, which made Akane happy knowing they were getting her away from her old life. Shogo had shopping bags in hand and Mion boasted on how she had picked out those clothes for Assassin.<p>

As suggested by Mion, they stopped at Angel Mort and Assassin looked around. Such a bright and happy place. She then spotted on display various delicious pastries. "Jackie-chan, do you want one?" asked Akane, seeing the small girl's attention trained on the cakes. Assassin nodded. "Which one?" She pointed at a slice of chocolate cake with a strawberry on top. Smiling, Akane quickly made her order with one of the waitresses before finding a booth.

Sitting in a booth together, with Shogo finding another table to rest his legs and put down the shopping bags, Assassin enjoyed the sugary treat, eating like she had never had something like that before. Akane was content to watch her unofficial third child enjoy the treat while Mion admired how cute the girl looked eating her cake. Shogo just remained silent as he tried to banish the images of the slaughtered Darkloid from his mind.

"Okaasan? Onee?"

Mion and Akane both looked up to see none other than Shion walking towards them. Likely she had just arrived to punch in for her shift and had spotted her mother and sister sitting at one of the booths. Her older sister was one thing, but her mother rarely entered Angel Mort. Not because she didn't want to, but more like because she was rarely able to get out of the Sonozaki mansion.

"Ah, Shion!" Akane smiled. "I've been meaning to find you. Come over here and let me introduce you."

Shion walked over to meet with her family and spotted the white-haired girl sitting in the booth. Assassin looked back on Shion with a blank gaze but then snapped her gaze back to Mion in what for the little girl passed as confusion. She looked back and forth between the twins, likely surprised to see that two people looked alike.

"This is my twin sister Shion," Mion explained. "You'll like her."

"…I'm Jackie," Assassin answered softly. Akane explained how she had found Assassin, in an alley, and how she'd been dressed and concluded that she'd been mistreated by some unsavory characters. Shion's eyes widened slightly at the story and she looked at the pale-haired girl who continued to enjoy the chocolaty treat.

"It was like she appeared out of nowhere," Akane added.

"Out of nowhere," Shion repeated. "Huh?" She looked to Assassin and gave her a smile. "Well, if you're going to be staying with Okaasan and Onee, make sure to take care of yourself and everyone else, OK?"

"I will protect Mother," Assassin swore and there was this intensity in her eyes when she said this.

"Oh, I almost forget, we'll need to give Jackie-chan a checkup," said Akane.

"How about you go to Dr. Irie's?" Mion suggested.

"I was actually thinking of a clinic here in town," said Akane.

"Oh, right. There's one in town," Mion remembered. She always frequented Dr. Irie's that she had gotten used to it and forgot that Okinomiya had its own clinic.

* * *

><p><strong>Banabara Residence<strong>

"Well, here we are," said Satoshi as they stood in front of Shiori Banabara's house and knocked on the door. It didn't take long before Shiori opened the door to them. "Ah, Satoshi-kun and Satoko-chan!" Shiori greeted. "If you're looking for Shinji, Rika-chan and Hanyuu-chan you just missed them."

"Actually, we're here to see you," said Satoshi. "Shiori-san, this is Caster."

Shiori looked up at the man in green and her eyes seemed to sparkle as she blushed. He looked really handsome. "Caster? So, he's a Servant."

That statement caused Satoshi's eyes to widen in shock.

* * *

><p>"So, Rena-san, Shinichi-san and Rika are Masters and have Servants too," Satoko concluded after hearing Shiori's tale. They were seated at the living room with cups of tea. The woman took the appearance of the Servant in stride and invited them all inside for conversation.<p>

"And it looks like your brother has a Servant himself," Shiori added. "So, what brings you over to my place?"

"Caster wanted to meet you after reading one of your books," Satoshi explained.

"I wish to compliment you on your book, madam. It was quite amazing. The characters are so alive, the descriptions are so vivid, and the narrative is so enthralling," Caster said.

"Oh thank you!" Shirori beamed. "I really try to make the action as real as I can; making the act itself as believable as possible but at the same time I emphasize the emotion behind all of the actions. It wasn't easy at first but once I managed to strike the point between the emotion and description the rest seemed to flow."

"Then you must have a natural gift," Caster smiled. "I have dealt with many writers who had struggles either making their characters believable or emotional. I myself worked to create my characters who were dramatically impactful and engaging storylines which would capture the audience with how extreme the situations are. You on the other hand seemed to have taken a normally taboo subject and turned it into an engaging and entertaining piece of literature."

"I've always been a fan of hot and steamy romance," Shiori shrugged. "When I started writing, I decided that I would try to make that genre into my ideal. There were so few good stories in that area around my hometown since people didn't buy them, tried to ban them, or the local bookstores didn't carry them."

"And so you decided to make that kind of story what you believed it should be," Caster nodded. "Admirable."

"Oh stop it!" Shiori giggled. "You're embarrassing me!"

"This is so weird," Satoko whispered to Satoshi.

"I'd use the word 'awkward'," Satoshi responded.

"So, your son, daughter and your son's lady friend are all Masters. Odd how you did not panic," admired Caster.

"Oh, well, this year has been very eventful. I've learnt to take such strangeness in stride. Plus, I've never been so inspired in my life," Shiori answered. Her short story, 'The High Commander and his Concubine' was based on her experience when GIN-SHOCKER had taken her hostage. She imagined a scenario where Rena was taken to the High Commander's bed.

Caster chuckled, but on the inside he was slightly concerned. If three of the opposing Masters were friends with his before the war started, then he was going to be reluctant in fighting them. However, a war like this would quickly determine who your true friends are in the face of something like the Holy Grail. Of course, that kind of drama and possible revelations of true or false friendship would be a boon to his newest work!

"So what are your intentions now Caster-san?" asked Shiori.

"Well, I aim to use my experiences in this war to write my newest work," the Servant replied, lifting his ever present book. "So far I have been receiving much needed inspiration and material for it."

"Oh, you're a writer too?" Shiori gasped. "Would I have read anything of yours?"

"I most certainly think so!" Caster chuckled. "I put out many famous works, but I feel some of my tragedies are some of my best. Ah, the acclaim I received for them was astronomical! The way I reached my audience and rendered them to tears was a work of art in itself."

* * *

><p>"So, you were some kind of big shot writer in the past?" Satoko asked as she, her brother and her brother's Servant left Shiori's house, with Caster flipping through the pages of a book Shiori had lent him.<p>

"Ah, yes, indeed," Caster said, his attention split between responding to questions and the book in his hand. "My, my, such things would make the men and women of my time blush."

"So, how would a writer end up worthy enough to be summoned as a Servant?" Satoshi asked. A writer wasn't exactly associated with heroism in his opinion. "Were you some kind of wizard?" Caster could perform magic so he may have had magical abilities in his old life.

"Alas, no although I had written about a few witches in my time," Caster replied. "No, my writings were in fact so famous I was considered a wizard of the printed word by many. Although, it is that perception of my so-called magic with my works that grants me my abilities as Caster. Simply put, I write it and it becomes real."

"Really?" Satoko blinked.

"Well, there are of course limitations to what my writings affects, but essentially yes," Caster nodded. "I wish for Master to become strong enough to fight beasts, I can make that happen."

"Wow…" Staoshi blinked.

"But enough about that!" Caster smiled, walking ahead of the two. "Come aling, we have many things to prepare for!"

The Houjou siblings looked to each other before racing to catch up with the Servant. It seemed things were going to be interesting in the future.

* * *

><p><strong>Okinomiya<strong>

Okinomiya was the neighboring town and within walking distance. Normally, the Gaming Club rode their bicycles to town. Rider had suggested taking Shinichi's bike but the group decided to just walk. They were an odd bunch since Rider, Saber and Archer were receiving some looks as they passed through the town.

"And here's our favorite hangout!" Rena declared, "Angel Mort!"

"Yeah," smiled Shinichi. He sometimes had fantasies of Rena dressed in the waitress uniform. Then again, how could he not. His girlfriend would definitely fill out the outfit.

As the group entered, Archer and Saber were taken aback by the revealing uniforms. However, Rider found their reactions amusing as she appraised what the waitresses wore.

"Oh, hi guys!" Shion greeted. "Who are your friends?"

"Friends from out of town/Kaa-chan's relatives," was the answer she got from Hanyuu and Shinichi at the same time. The two glanced at each other before they looked back to Shion, smiling guiltily.

Shion cocked an eyebrow. "O…kay…So, you have a pretty large group. 7 people," she counted "Let me show you to a table, OK?" Gesturing the group to follow her, they began to move around the place. Archer and Saber kept their eyes firmly trained on the appropriate places and if they had to look at a waitress, it was at her face rather than her body. Rider on the other hand was examining each waitress from head to toe, but not out of desire.

"Hm…" Rider looked about. "Miss, is it possible for me to wear one?"

"Only if you work here," said Shion. Shinichi's imagination went into work as he imagined Rider in the uniform, posing to display her cleavage at him. Even her scar didn't cripple her beauty. Rena scowled as she saw her boyfriend blush, obviously imagining something perverted and not about her.

"Maybe I could get a job here in my spare time then," Rider commented. Shinichi's mental images were double enforced by hearing how willing Rider apparently seemed and he struggled not to erupt in a nosebleed. Rena's scowl deepened, glaring holes into Rider's back not that the redhead noticed.

"Well, our manager is always looking out for new talent," Shion shrugged. She had to admit that the redhead was beautiful and had a body to die for. The scar on her face didn't take away her beauty at all. Shion herself was straight and even she could tell the woman was made of pure win. Of course, working at the café for a while gave her an eye for it. Ending her introspection, she reached one of the largest tables for the group, "Here you are."

"Thank you nipah!" Rika smiled as the group took their seats, allowing Shion to hand out menus.

"My, such delicacies," Archer complimented as he saw the wide array of snacks and treats which were available for sale. "I don't know where to begin."

"Neither do I," Saber admitted. Glancing to Shion, he asked, "What would you recommend ma'am?"

Using his surveillance equipment, he could see everything that happened in that village and the neighboring town. He was still obsessed with Shinichi. He had to admit that Shinichi's plan to infiltrate GIN-SHOCKER under the impression that he had joined them by his own free will was ingenious. Infuriating, but ingenious. He wanted to punish his 'son' for misbehaving and now he had Berserker to help him.

He looked to the screens and saw Shinichi. He was riding on his little motorcycle with some redhead at the controls and him in the sidecar. They were alone at the moment and that made for a perfect opportunity. "Berserker my dear, would you like to go for a walk?"

* * *

><p><strong>Okinomiya Clinic<strong>

The trip to the clinic had been quick since the doctor hadn't been able to find anything wrong with Assassin. In fact, the small girl was actually healthier than most adults that had come into the clinic. No signs of scarring, broken bones, bruises or sickness. Heck, she still had her tonsils. It had been a little touch and go for a while since Assassin was tense around so many metal instruments, but once Akane told her what they were, the little girl seemed to be completely at ease again.

Finally, the doctor left Assassin with Mion while he went to talk with Akane.

"So there's nothing wrong with her?" asked Akane.

"Physically speaking, she's healthier than even the adults that come into this place," the doctor replied. "Whoever had been abusing her, he made sure to never go too far. Psychologically though, I think there's a world of trouble that we've only seen the surface of."

"Oh dear," Akane frowned.

"I'm no psychologist, but I'd recommend one for the near future," the doctor sighed. "There's something off with that girl and it's plain to see. Whatever it is, you and your daughter seem to be doing some good with it but I wouldn't rely solely on that. The girl needs help and in a bad way."

Akane nodded, "I feared as much. Still, I don't want this to happen all at once. I want her to get settled first before we start doing anything else."

"A solid sense of belonging somewhere might help, but as I said I'm no expert," the doctor sighed.

"I'll see what I can do," Akane accepted. "Thank you for your help."

* * *

><p>Dinner with the Sonozaki family wasn't exactly what Assassin would call awkward. However, the old lady which her new mother had called 'Okaa-sama' did join them. She wore a very ugly brown kimono, had grey hair and ugly with a lot of wrinkles. Also, Assassin could feel her eyes staring right at her as they ate.<p>

"Tell me, child, what is your name?" Oryo asked.

"Jackie," Assassin answered.

"No family?"

"None," Assassin replied calmly despite the interrogative tone.

"What exactly happened to you?" Oryo continued.

"Okaa-sama, please, you don't need to interrogate her like this, especially while we're having dinner," said Akane, insisting her mother stop.

"I simply wish to get to know the child," said Oryo to her daughter. "That isn't a crime, is it?" Her attention went back towards Assassin. The girl had appeared out of nowhere, dressed in a scandalous outfit, and then Akane decided to bring the girl to their home. She didn't look Japanese. She looked foreign too and Oryo was always insisted on traditions. That was why she had led the village to protest against the government's decision to build a dam which would've flooded the village and force them out of their homes.

She just needed to know what this child's intentions were.

"Why did you decide to go with my daughter?" Oryo asked.

"…because she is my mother," Assassin said.

Now that was it. The girl had no family and immediately imprinted onto Akane as a mother figure. Well, considering the girl had not led what one would call a happy life it made sense. Oryo, however, would get to the bottom of this and use her resources to uncover the girl's identity. There was something about those cold, blue eyes that she didn't like.

Assassin already decided she didn't like the old woman.

* * *

><p>After a hot bath with Akane, Assassin was put to bed with Mion. Mion promised to introduce Assassin to the rest of her friends the next day. It was Sunday which meant weekend club activities. Mion was actually looking forward to that. Jackie had such harrowing experiences in her life and she needed to have some real friends. Hopefully she'd get along with Rika, Hanyuu, and Satoko. Those girls would be happy to have a new friend their own age and Jackie desperately needed more people she could trust.<p>

It would be a good day.

* * *

><p>"Rider! Can't you drive more carefully!-?" Shinichi shouted as he rode in the sidecar with Rider driving his bike. They were driving along the road entering Okinomiya and it was night time. Shinichi was actually going out on his usual nightly patrol. Shiori always worried whenever he went out alone but now that he had Rider accompanying him, she had nothing to fear.<p>

"Oh, come on, Shinichi!" Rider laughed. She was having far too much fun with this. She had never ridden something like a bike before. It was faster than a horse and the rush was far too much for her to resist. "I'm impressed that you built this thing!"

"It was built for me," he clarified. "I just improved on the design."

"Well, I'm just glad I have something to ride in this era. You should see my ship! It's grand!"

"You still haven't told me who you really are, Rider," Shinichi said.

"Oh, that's for you to find out, my Master," Rider smiled as she glanced at him. Shinichi looked ahead and his eyes widened.

"Rider, stop," he ordered. She used the brakes and skidded to a halt as the headlights of the bike shone on a figure in their path.

"Dr. Gebok," Shinichi identified. He was still blonde, wearing shades even at night, dressed in a closed lab coat and fedora.

"Someone you know?" Rider inquired.

"Yes, and not in a good way," Shinichi answered as he exited the sidecar, tossing his helmet into it. "Dr. Gebok, it's been awhile. The last time I saw you I blew you up."

"Well, you must know by now my boy that I do not stay dead for long," replied Dr. Gebok.

"Of course not. You're just like a cockroach: you're impossible to kill," Shinichi replied with a mixture of disgust and annoyance as he clenched his fists. "However, that just means I have the pleasure of killing you myself, all over again." He ordered, "Rider, this is my fight!"

Rider looked to her Master, understanding his desire to fight his own battles. "Very well." She could see revenge reflected in Shinichi's eyes.

Shinichi charged at Gebok with a fist drawn back, ready to hurl it and bury it inside Gebok's skull when Gebok suddenly said, "Berserker, my dear. Please protect daddy."

Suddenly, Shinichi was slammed by a shocking and explosive blow that caused Rider to scream as he was sent tumbling backwards. She caught him as the back of his head was cushioned by her breasts. He was hurt, but undamaged due to his enhanced durability. However, there was a new presence as the back of Shinichi's right hand glowed. The markings on Gebok's hand glowed as well and this time he was no longer alone.

"Shinichi, he's got a Servant," Rider informed at the sight of a white-clad woman whom stood taller than Gebok, armed with a mace which had lightning arching around the metal ball.

Gebok gave a simple command, "Attack, kill and destroy."

Berserker unleashed a feminine roar and charged at Rider. "Shinichi, stay behind me! It's my turn to fight!" said Rider.

Rider's body flashed with light, returning into the outfit she had worn when she first appeared. Reaching into her jacket, she drew her pistols and took aim at the white-clad Berserker. However, instead of attacking, the bridal beast stiffened and stared at the weapons Rider held. At first Shinichi and Rider thought that Berserker was possibly afraid of firearms, but their guess was quickly proven wrong as Berserker's pupils shrank and became bloodshot while her teeth began to grind together. The manic look in her eyes moved into a full on berserk fury.

"RAAAAAHHHH!" Berserker bellowed, charging towards Rider while raising her weapon.

Rider grimaced and began shooting at Berserker. The bridal beast didn't seem too register the bullets coming as a threat and instead swung her mace wide which knocked the balls of lead out of the air. Berserker kept her charge going and lunged at Rider, ready to smash her into a pulp. Grimacing, Rider lunged for the open space next to her as Berserker's mace came down, crashing into the street and sending chunks of pavement in all directions.

Rolling to her feet, Rider took aim and fired at Berserker once again. The lead flew through the air and impacted against Berserker's arm and shoulder with splatters of dark crimson fluid, but the mad Servant didn't seem to register that she had been shot or even that she was bleeding. Instead, she just seemed to notice that she had been attacked from Rider's direction so she turned to charge at the Servant with another animalistic growl.

"Oh, it seems you've made my little girl angry," Gebok chuckled. "BLACK 13, why do you allow her to hurt your sister so?"

"Shut up!" Shinichi snapped. "Rider, she's too powerful! We need to focus on Gebok!"

"Easier said than done!" replied Rider.

"Then, I will!" Shinichi summoned his Spark Core and prepared to transform. He called upon the power within and activated it, "Henshin!"

Nothing.

"What?" Shinichi blinked in confusion, staring at his Spark Core. It was glowing, but he wasn't transformed.

"Having trouble?" Gebok taunted.

"Damn it, what's going on?" Shinichi questioned. Rider was still battling Berserker and the mace bashed upon the ground violently, causing a tremor. Then he remembered that a Servant's energy source was their Master and that was when he made the conclusion, "My power is fueling Rider."

Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, was Assassin. Her Presence Concealment prevented her from being detected. Her pale blue eyes watched the fight occurring between the two Servants. She had actually snuck out while everyone in the Sonozaki Mansion was asleep. Hopefully, she would return before anyone noticed she was gone. She didn't want to worry her 'mother' with her nighttime activities.

Her plan was simple. She would scout and discover the identities of the other Masters and Servants. She had detected the presence of four Servants in the village alone as she prowled in the dark. Saber, Rider, Archer and Caster were in the village and she had followed Rider and her Master out while staying in the shadows.

Her plan was to take Rider's Master out but then Berserker and her Master had appeared. Since she would not be able to beat them in fair combat, she decided to watch. Maybe, she hoped, the Servants would take each other out and thus two threats would be eliminated. She kept her pale blue eyes on both Masters, twirling her knives around as she waited for the opportune moment to strike.

Shinichi watched as Berserker smashed more of the ground, trying to eliminate Rider. Gebok merely watched in amusement. Rider shot wildly at the bridezilla, but no matter what the bullets hit or if they hit at all Berserker didn't seem to care that she had been wounded. All she seemed to care about was crushing Rider into a puddle of red goo.

"You should be proud of your little sister!" Gebok laughed. "She's perfect in every way! Powerful, obedient, and ever so successful at everything she does!"

"What I wouldn't give to shut you up," Shinichi growled. He couldn't transform into Showa but he had the next best thing. Taking out the Scada Buckle, he strapped it on and gripped the ripcord. He pulled and released. "Let It Rip! Henshin!" The Scada Buckle released a burst of wind before his armor formed. He charged straight for Gebok. Berserker was preoccupied as she and Rider engaged in combat; that left Gebok open for assault. "Take this, you asshole!" He drew his arm back, fist clenched, preparing to bury it right into Gebok's skull.

Suddenly, Berserker was in front of him while swinging her mace with a ferocious roar.

*WHAM!*

The mace made contact with Scada's head, effectively ringing his bell and sending him flying back several feet before crashing into a solid wall belonging to one of the nearby buildings with enough force to crater it.

"Shinichi!" Rider screamed in horror.

Scada groaned, his vision slightly blurry. Pulling himself out of the hole he made, he spotted Berserker standing in front of Gebok, looking like a bloody mess but with electricity crackling around her metal legs. In all honesty, she looked like something out off that old movie Carrie.

"Oh, that was naughty, BLACK 13," Gebok chuckled. "It's a good thing that Berserker is such a good girl to protect her daddy."

Rider growled at the pair and was sickened to see a goofy smile come over Berserker's face as she registered the praise. Obviously her Mad Enhancement wasn't incredibly high if she could show something beyond feral rage on the emotional spectrum. Still, it was enough to make her stronger in the heat of battle. If they were going to get out of this, she was going to have to pull off a risky move.

Standing straight, Rider pooled her prana and reached out for her Noble Phantasm. Not enough to actually summon its full power, especially since she would have to call its name to bring out the full effect. For the purpose at the moment, she would only need a piece.

"Hey, freaks!" she shouted, getting Gebok and Berserker's attention. "Try this on for size!"

Above her, four wooden lacquered panels lined with gold on the edges appeared hovering in the air. With a wave of her hand, the panels opened to reveal four square holes in open space which four black cannons with gold trimming appeared from. The cannons took aim and Gebok lost his smirk.

"Fire!" Rider shouted.

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

**KABOOM!**

The four cannons fired their payloads and unleashed four shots of pure hell. Berserker bellowed and charged for the attacker, but was quickly caught up in the explosion of the four simultaneous attacks. The noise echoed through the night, sending smoke, fire, and pavement in all directions.

"Yatta!" Scada cheered. "Take that, Gebok! So much for Ber-!"

A loud roar rang through, "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

"What the fuck!-?"

A bolt of raw electricity cut through the smoke and dispelled it to reveal Berserker, but she had definitely not gotten through the attack unscathed. Her dress was torn, sooty, and bloody which made it look red rather than white. Her arms and legs were just as bloody, but most disturbing of all was that half of her face was missing, revealing tissue and bone beneath. However, it looked like her bones had been pieced together like a puzzle with brass keeping them all together. Blue lights could be seen in her muscles, indicating electric voltage.

"Berserkers rarely go down so easy," Rider frowned. "Oh well, get ready for fire two!"

Gebok saw the damage Berserker had taken and was worried. As powerful as she was even she had to have limits. However, it didn't seem like pain registered but Gebok could see that Berserker may not survive the next volley.

"Berserker, let us withdraw for now!" Gebok ordered. "Hurry, my dear, while you can still stand!"

Berserker obeyed and vanished as Gebok pushed a button on his wrist which teleported him away.

"They're gone, dammit!" Scada cursed, punching his palm.

"A Berserker," said Rider. "This is bad."

"Yeah, and she's with Gebok," Scada agreed.

"I take it he's bad news," Rider guessed.

"Rider, you have no idea."

* * *

><p>Gebok returned to his lab and called frantically, "Berserker!" The mad Servant appeared as she was called. "Hurry, my dear, and get onto the table! Let me repair you!" Berserker was a rare and amazing discovery and it would be a shame for her to break down so soon. He would save her even if it was the last thing he did.<p>

Berserker stumbled along the floor, leaving puddles of blood as she went. However, she didn't go for the operating table. Instead, she went over to one of his multiple machines and glanced down at one of the thick power cables which kept it running.

"Berserker!" Gebok shouted.

The beastly bride reached down and grabbed the cable and lifted to her mouth. To Gebok's surprise, she bit into the cable with enough force to break the circuit and let the electricity flow into her body. The voltage sparked across her body and raced through her, making all of the metal on her light up like neon. The light raced down her arm and into her weapons before colliding with the gray head. The voltage would then race back out of the weapon and back into her body before causing a reaction. Before Gebok's eyes all of the damage done to her body from the redhead regenerated as if it never happened. Even more shocking, the damage to her clothes vanished as well. All of the tears repaired themselves, the blood vanished, and the soot fell off to leave nothing but pristine whiteness. The lights died as the circuit breaker gave out, but by the time it was Berserker was back to her pristine self.

To Gebok, the sight held…possibilities.

"Ah, my dear Berserker," Gebok smiled, "It seems that my wayward son has gotten himself a bodyguard. But you and I will definitely fix that, won't we? Yes we will, yes we will!" Berserker smiled in response.

* * *

><p><strong>KAMEN RIDER CHROME: And there you have it, the start of the first Holy Grail War in Showa no Sekai. As you can see, this chapter isn't heavy on combat, except for when Shinichi and Gebok clashed, along with Rider and Berserker. We also see another example of Assassin's cruelty, but she's only cruel when her victim deserves it. Other than that, it's mostly just a slice of life chapter but things will become more violent in the next few chapters as Servants start to clash once the Holy Grail War has been made official. I'd like to thank Ten-Faced Paladin for the idea. He did most of the writing to be honest.<strong>

**Ten-Faced Paladin: Okay folks, today you see the first stages of the 'Holy Grail' War which has sparked off in Hinamizawa. Not a whole lot of action at first but there will be more. Don't despair over most of the Masters being friends or lovers either. We've got plans to help fix that and even things out. You can also bet the four witches and Topper won't let things be routine either.**


	3. Chapter II

**FATE/ETERNAL TEARS**

**Chapter II: The Ruler**

Shogo had captured the image of the mutilated Darkloid with his helmet's visor. It would appear that someone had killed the demonic monster inside a fog which had disappeared just as mysteriously as it appeared. That fog hadn't been natural and Shogo was going to prove it. Of course, he needed to get everyone else up to speed on what was happening. As strong as he was, he couldn't go about things on his own. So on that end, he had called the rest of the NEO-NUMBERS to their base under the Irie Clinic where he could make his report. In attendance were himself, Chiaki, Yokoshima, Daichi, Hana, and Michiru. The only one missing was Shinichi who was likely goofing off at something again.

"Wait, wait, wait," Yokoshima spoke up after hearing Shogo's report. "So you're saying you were about to take on a Darkloid when this fog that was so thick it blocked out your helmet sensors rolled in. You then heard the Darkloid scream and when you went to investigate, you found the thing gutted, shredded, and all around made into ground hamburger."

"More like a half-assed anatomy model, but yea," Shogo nodded.

"And we should care why? asked Daichi. "If whatever it was that did that wants to kill Darkloids then all the power to them."

"Oh yeah?" asked Shogo. He summoned his helmet and hit a switch that projected the image he'd caught onto the wall.

"OH GOD!"

"FUCK MAN! THAT ISN'T RIGHT!"

"EEWWW! TAKE IT DOWN! TAKE IT DOWN!"

"I SHOULDN'T SEE THAT OUTSIDE OF A MOVIE!"

Shogo hit the switch again and took down the image, much to the relief of his fellow cyborgs. "You really want something that could do THAT to a Darkloid running around without knowing what its intentions are?"

"Okay, okay, you made your point," Daichi sighed. "Just don't show us that again."

"It looks like something that came out of Hana-chan's movie collection," Michiru trembled, reaching into her pack so to get a banana to settle her stomach.

"No, it looks more like something Jack the Ripper would have pulled off," the Goth nurse frowned. "I like a good gory film, but something like that is too much even for me."

"I'm going to see that every time I close my eyes," Yokoshima trembled.

"I'm going to need to do some research on who or what could've done that. For all we know it could be a Darkloid that's cannibalizing other Darkloids," said Shogo.

* * *

><p>It was Sunday and Mion had called everyone to the school for club activities. As she was the club president, her word was law and if she summoned the members, they would have to answer. In fact, she had done that with a round of phone calls to everyone else. Not wanting to incur the wrath of their club leader without one heck of a good reason, the Hinamizawa Gaming Club met up at the school to see just what it was that their leader wanted.<p>

"Welcome, everyone!" Mion greeted. She had been there first and was waiting for the others. She had a bright smile on her face and that could mean good or bad things for the members. She could either have something very fun all lined up or have a scheme to be the winner of the game so she could put a penalty game on someone. So it was understandable why the group had been somewhat apprehensive to see that smile on Mion's lip.

"OK, Onee, what's going on?" Shion asked. "You sounded pretty urgent."

"Well, Shion, I decided that today is when I introduced everyone to the newest member of our club," said Mion.

"New member?" Shinichi asked. He did a quick tally of faces and saw that there was nobody new nearby. "But I don't see anyone else."

Mion smiled and said over her shoulder, "Jackie-chan, come out now."

Jackie poked her head out from behind Mion and then stood next to the older girl, but she put her hand in Mion's. The group immediately blinked and took in the appearance of the girl. Shion already knew her and smiled at her warmly. Everyone else had never met the white-haired girl before but remained friendly. Her hair colour was a little odd, but considering the twins had green hair, Rika had blue, Hanyuu purple, and Shinichi's indigo it was nothing new in their lives.

"Mion, who's this?" Shinichi asked.

"This is Jackie-chan," Mion introduced. "And she's staying at my house right now. Jackie-chan, say hello."

Jackie looked at everyone, her pale eyes fixating on each of the Gaming Club members for several seconds before she let out a soft, "…hello."

It was Rena who instantly squealed, "Oh, she's so cute! I wanna take her home!" Startled, Jackie hid behind Mion again. "Oh, she's shy! So cute!-!-!"

"She scares easy," said Mion, slightly exasperated at Rena's antics despite being used to them. Then again, Rena's usual targets were never really super shy like Jackie was and likely to be afraid if the girl went into her take-it-home-mode again. "So, please, be nice."

"Well, let us officially welcome Jackie-chan to the Gaming Club!" said Keiichi, grinning. '_Another cute girl! Sure, she's young but in a few years she'll grow into a beauty!_'

"And wipe that grin off your face, Kei-chan," Mion warned, instantly guessing what her boyfriend was thinking. "This is not the time and place for your perverted thoughts."

"Mion knows you well," Shinichi teased. "Oh, well, I guess it's time we introduced ourselves too."

"I am not a lolicon!" Keiichi defended himself, but not many listened.

One by one, the Gaming Club members introduced themselves. Jackie listened, memorizing their names and faces. She remembered her second big sister who didn't live in the house with mother and her first big sister. The boy with brown hair had a familiar look in his eyes. She would consider him as the same kind as the customers she met at Angel Mort. The girl with brown hair seemed nice, but she didn't want to go home with her. The three smaller girls she would see about later when she got a chance to observe them. The blonde boy was in neutral territory, but the other boy with indigo hair…she would have to eliminate him.

"Alright, I guess it's time for me to tell you guys what today's game is gonna be!" said Mion. "It'll be Zombie Tag!"

Zombie Tag was a combination of Tag and Hide and Seek. The objective was for the 'zombie' to find the others and tag them. However, tagging would not transfer the 'zombie' statue to someone else. Instead, the ones caught by the 'zombie' would becomes 'zombies' as well and join him/her in finding the others. By the end of the game, the winner would be the one who had not been tagged the entire game.

"So, who'll be the zombie?" asked Shinichi.

* * *

><p>Since it was Jackie's first game of Zombie Tag, she would be the 'zombie'. Mion told her she would need to count to 100 with her eyes closed as everyone scattered to hide. The game had a one hour time limit and the designated area was the schoolyard. There weren't many places to hide but the Gaming Club managed to find creative solutions around that little problem. Jackie was tempted to play since she never got to do that before, but she knew she had her duties to mother's safety and her sisters to consider first.<p>

The indigo-haired boy had to die.

* * *

><p>Shinichi chuckled as he hid in a tree. "She'll never find me here." Jackie was brand new to the Hinamizawa area and she would be busy looking in the school first and by the time she managed to get the indoor spots out of the way, she would be using up the hour and make him the winner. As he was busy congratulating his genius though, a thick mist began to roll into the area. "Huh, a mist?" Suddenly, he felt a presence and had to jump out of the tree. He had a cut in his sleeve and blood was dripping from the cut.<p>

"Oh crap!" he cursed. Now he was completely surrounded by a mist. He couldn't see anything clearly, despite his enhanced vision and thus concluded this was no ordinary mist. He heard movement and dodged to the side just as someone swiped at him. The side of his shirt was cut open and blood spilled from the wound. He grunted as he held his bleeding side. "A Servant," he realized. There was Servant hiding in the mist and he could guess that the Servant was the one responsible for this mist.

He could be wrong, though. It might be a Darkloid but he should've sensed it if it was. It had to be a Servant. Oddly enough his Command Sigils weren't glowing. Only one Servant had the ability to conceal their presence. It was the Assassin Class that Rider had told him about. Immediately, he reacted and spun around with his leg stretched out, hitting something solid. He kept his eyes trained to his surroundings. If this was a Servant, and one out to kill him, then he would need help. "Rider, come out," he called.

Rider came out of her astralized state as commanded and said, "I knew you'd need me," with a smirk. Despite Shinichi's injuries, she knew her Master was a lot tougher than he looked. She couldn't help but feel concerned. "You okay?"

"Almost got sliced open, but I'm fine," he said.

* * *

><p>"Hanyuu, where did this mist come from?" Rika asked. "Hanyuu? Hanyuu?"<p>

"I'm here, Rika!" Hanyuu called.

"Good, now can you tell me where this mist came from?" Rika asked.

"I don't know, but it feels like magic," said Hanyuu.

"Archer," Rika called.

* * *

><p>Rider and Shinichi stood back to back. Already his bleeding had stopped and his wound was starting to heal. "Where is it?" he asked.<p>

"Assassins are the worst," Rider answered. "They're pretty weak at combat in general, but they aren't summoned for their fighting skills. They're summoned for their ability to kill quickly and undetected. Assassin has already struck you twice. You're lucky to even be alive." She took out her pistols.

"Be careful with those. My friends are in here too," said Shinichi.

"I'm also sensing a new Servant in the area," said Rider.

"Another one?" Shinichi blinked. A new Servant?

"Yeah, I also sense that your little sister just called Archer," Rider added.

"What was that?" Shinichi asked as his ears picked up something.

Rider quickly responded as she saw a flash of steel and blocked it with her pistol. She saw Assassin's silhouette and aimed with her gun only for a foot to hit her in the face and send her staggering before Assassin slipped back into the thick mist. "Dammit, cowardly Assassin!"

"Cowardly, but considering this is a war anything goes," Shinichi said logically. He flexed his fingers, fists clenching and unclenching. His eyes were narrowed as he scanned his surroundings.

* * *

><p>"This isn't a normal mist, is it?" Satoshi asked Caster. He was alone with Satoko. The blonde girl was clutching her brother tightly. Caster had been close, but he claimed he couldn't get any closer without triggering the markings his friends held and despite them likely already knowing he had a Servant, Caster wished to keep himself hidden as much as possible. When the mist rolled in, covering the area Satoshi had called in Caster to try and figure out what was going on.<p>

"No, it isn't," confirmed Caster, frowning at the sight of the magical mist. "It seems that a Servant has managed to 'crash the party',"

* * *

><p>"A Servant did this?" Rena asked Saber.<p>

"Indeed, Mistress, and I'm guessing this is the work of Assassin," said Saber.

"Assassin?" Rena repeated. She gasped in realization. "Shin-kun!" She ran into the mist.

"Mistress, wait!"

* * *

><p>"He wants me, doesn't he?" Shinichi asked.<p>

"You and every other Master in this game," Rider added.

"That means Rena-chan and Rika-chan…" Shinichi growled. "I won't let him hurt them."

He suddenly felt someone grab his arm. Reacting quickly, Shinichi pulled his arm back and threw a punch, hitting Assassin and sending her tumbling away. She saw her silhouette. It was petite but other than that he couldn't see her features. He looked at his arm and frowned. Despite having managed to hit her, Assassin had managed to slice him across his arm. "Another cut. He's playing with me."

"Assassins don't play," Rider frowned. "Hassan-I-Sabbah's are too professional for that."

"Who?" asked Shinichi.

"I'll tell you later," Rider answered, keeping an eye on the surroundings. "Right now we need to focus on shorty here. He's using presence concealment to hide his magical presence so your Command Seals can't sense him and neither can I. This mist makes it impossible to see him too."

"Figures a legendary assassin would be able to manipulate the environment to suit himself instead of waiting for the environment to make his opportunity," Shinichi frowned.

"Oh? Sounds like you have experience in that regard," commented Rider.

"GIN-SHOCKER trained me for all aspects of war," Shinichi frowned. "It's just a shame that I have to keep using them."

* * *

><p>"Dammit, where did this fog come from?" Mion asked. She had been trying to find a hiding place when a mist suddenly appeared, surrounding them. Now, she was worried. She didn't know how far she was walking nor where she was exactly. She was practically walking blind. "Jackie-chan!" she called. She was worried for the girl. She was new, and easily frightened after what she'd been through. Being alone in a mist like this could be terrifying for someone who'd been traumatized.<p>

* * *

><p>Rider and her Master were right in her sights, hiding in a nearby tree. With her Presence Concealment and Mist limiting her visibility, she could strike from any angle and finish the job. Her eyes were focused on Shinichi, her hands clenched around her daggers tightly. She had managed to land several cuts on him, all non-fatal so far. She wanted to make him afraid, fear for his life like the other bad people she met in the past. However, this boy was not afraid. He fought back and managed to strike her in the face, showing his reflexes were very good. She wouldn't make that mistake again.<p>

She was ready to strike when she heard a voice call her name, "Jackie-chan!"

Assassin frowned. Her big sister was getting too close to the battle. She couldn't risk her family in this. She especially didn't want them to know about the War and her role in it. She looked at Rider and Shinichi once more before vanishing. The Mist soon vanished along with her. She would go to a different spot and act like she was looking for her sisters and her friends.

No one would be the wiser.

* * *

><p>With the mist vanishing, the various groups of people were able to see properly again. Shinichi and Rider were by themselves. Both were silent, waiting to see if Assassin was going to try any further tricks or if the Servant was well and truly gone.<p>

"Did he just give up?" asked Shinichi.

"Maybe," Rider frowned. "Likely the fact that you managed to keep up with him, albeit barely, made him rethink his strategy about you. He probably is going to try and get more knowledge about you before deciding to take you on again."

"Great," Shinichi sighed. It had been incredibly hard to tell when Assassin was coming and weren't it for his own enhanced senses which were thankfully still working despite his Spark Core being used to power Rider, he doubted he would have heard Assassin coming at all. Whoever Assassin had been in their lifetime, they had truly earned their skills as a legendary killer. Speaking of which… "Rider, you called Assassin something else didn't you? Hassan…uh…"

"Hassan-I-Sabbah," Rider replied, holstering her guns. "I heard tales of them when I made port in the Middle East during my lifetime. A clan of killers whose skills were said to be inhuman, calling themselves Hashashin. Their leader was called The Old Man in the Mountain, or Hassan-I-Sabbah. From what I was told, the leader was supposedly immortal because he never seemed to age in all of the years he led the clan. Of course, I think Hassan-I-Sabbah is a title rather than a name which means there was more than one. If there was anyone who would be chosen to be Assassin, it would be him."

"Great," Shinichi grimaced, feeling his cuts start to sting in the open air. "Better see if I can get the med-kit then. These won't heal themselves instantly."

"SHIN-KUN!"

* * *

><p>"Jackie-chan!" Mion cried as she dashed into the school. "Jackie-chan, where are you?"<p>

Mion came to the classroom and whipped open the door. Panting, she looked inside and saw a head of silver hair pop up from behind the teacher's podium.

"Jackie-chan," Mion smiled, relieved as she went and helped the girl to her feet before hugging her. "I was so worried."

* * *

><p>"Shin-kun!" Rena cried out as she found her boyfriend and gasped as she saw the blood which had stained his clothes. "Shin-kun, what happened?"<p>

"A Servant happened," reported Rider. Rena looked to Rider, frowning as she saw the redhead so close to her boyfriend. Behind her, Saber finally caught up with his Master and saw that the Master of Rider was cut up from a battle. It was obvious that the boy had been targeted by an enemy. However, who that enemy was became the pressing question in Saber's mind for the moment.

"A Servant?" asked Saber. "Was it one of the new ones we detected?" he asked. When the strange mist had appeared, he felt several Servants draw in close to the area. They had obviously been waiting outside the detection ranges of the Command Sigils as well as whatever Servants were perhaps out and about. He knew that two of them were likely Archer and Rider, but a fourth one had appeared inside the mist.

"No, this time it was Assassin," said Rider. "Presence Concealment kept him hidden from our senses and the mist kept his features hidden. The only thing I can say for sure was that the creep was short. Other than that, I can tell you nothing about him."

"How grim," frowned Saber. He saw Rena looking quite worried as she checked on Shinichi. The boy really was something else to survive despite all the blood that had been spilt. It was no small feat to withstand the attacks from a Servant, much less survive a strike from a legendary soul such as Assassin once they had you in their sights. Then again, the boy was hardly what one would call ordinary.

"Yeah, he cut me up really good," said Shinichi, flexing his arms as he tried to exercise the stinging sensation out of them. "Fortunately, I've been through worse."

"Mistress did say you've faced monsters of the most frightening kind," Saber stated.

"Bragging about me?" Shinichi asked cheekily, making Rena tap her fingers together with a flush on her face.

"Shin-kun, are you sure you'll be OK?" Rena asked, trying to get the subject away from her telling tales.

"I'm going to need a change of clothes, but other than that I'm fine," Shinichi grimaced, feeling the cuts sting even more.

* * *

><p>The Servants all astralised and Shinichi rejoined his friends. Naturally they were all more than a little concerned for their friend when they saw the cuts on his body and the blood stains. When asked what had happened to his clothes, he'd told a lie, "I got attacked by a Darkloid and it hit me before I could transform."<p>

"Do you think it made the weather go goofy?" asked Keiichi. "That fog came out of nowhere,"

"Mist," Shinichi corrected. "It was a mist, not a fog."

"What's the difference?" Keiichi asked.

"The level and distance of visibility," Shinichi answered. "Fog we can see through to an extent and we can see things clearly enough. Mist covers everything and makes in really hard to see. I think it's obvious that the mist we were in wasn't natural since the weather was in no way right to make mist or fog."

"No kidding," Satoshi grimaced, holding Satoko's hand as she in turn gripped Shion's. "Did you at least get the thing?"

"No," Shinichi sighed. "After it made a few runs at me I managed to transform but then it just ran off. It must not be very strong but have a lot of abilities."

"Well, I'm just glad that everyone's okay," Mion nodded, keeping the ever silent Jackie-chan close by. "So much for Jackie-chan's first meeting. I wanted her to have fun and instead a Darkloid shows up and ruins everything!"

"We can still have fun," said Shinichi. He smiled at the girl who gave him a blank expression in return. He couldn't help but be reminded of the way he'd behaved back when he used to be BLACK 13 of GIN-SHOCKER. Then again, Gebok had stripped him of his emotions and free will to turn him into the perfect weapon. Likely someone else had been messing with the girl in order to make her react in such a way. "Let's just play something else."

"Like what?" Rena asked.

Shinichi rubbed his chin. It had to be a game where he wouldn't end up being ambushed by an enemy Servant. He snapped his fingers. "How about an all out, battle royale of…Old Geezer?" Old Geezer was like Old Maid except there was no Joker card involved. It was a safe game, without the risk of anyone being attacked.

"Well, I don't think we can play Zombie Tag anymore," said Mion. If a Darkloid had suddenly come out to attack them like that, it was a miracle that Jackie hadn't been hurt when she'd been alone.

"I can understand that," said Shinichi. He was protective over Rika and Hanyuu since before they became adopted as his little sisters. Shinichi then knelt down in front of Jackie and smiled at her. "Now, Jackie-chan, I sure hope you behave yourself."

"Hey, Shin-chan, that goes without saying. Jackie-chan's really well-behaved," said Mion confidently.

"So, she'll be going to school with us?" asked Shinichi.

"Naturally!"

Shinichi smiled. "Looking forward to it."

* * *

><p>It was after the game of Old Geezer ended with Shinichi being the winner and Keiichi receiving a penalty game of being Rika, Satoko, Hanyuu, and Jackie's personal lapdog for a week. However, Shinichi's mind hadn't been on the game. Once it ended and he said his goodbyes, he hopped onto his motorcycle and went straight for ARMOR HQ. Rider had given him a lead on a possible identity for Assassin. He had come to understand if you know who the enemy Heroic Spirit was in their life then you would know how they were taken down, like the proverbial Achilles Heel if one was lucky.<p>

Passing through the security and muttering hello to a few familiar faces, Shinichi went down to the library of ARMOR to look for the information. The library had data on just about every important person in the history of the Multiverse for a number of reasons. Sometimes enemy groups would use the DNA of those people to make clones to fight enemies with, hunt for treasures those people held, or in rare cases end up meeting those people who had history fooled in terms of their stories. Shinichi immediately went to the electronic index to the whole library and began typing in his search subject.

"Hassan-I-Sabbah," he muttered, typing the name into the search engine before hitting the enter button.

As the search request was input, a sudden noise sounding a bit like wind being generated on a screen sounded off. Turning to the source, Shinichi blinked as he saw what amounted to a large metallic ball with a blue screen on the front with what looked like a monitor attached to the top like a head which sported a black screen with two yellow eyes and a single yellow line, emulating a face.

"_Greetings, Agent Banabara. I am the Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics Number 616. You may call me H.E.R.B.I.E. 616 for short,_" the robot explained in a high-pitched but monotone voice. "_I will be your assistant in you research efforts in the ARMOR library. Your current search is Hassan-I-Sabbah, correct?_"

"Um…yes," Shinichi nodded. "Is there any information on that here?"

"_Indeed,_" H.E.R.B.I.E. answered. "_You will find that name and history concerning it within our Middle Eastern collection. Please follow me. I will guide you to the most relevant documents._" The robot then turned towards the aisles of books and began to hover towards them. Shinichi quietly followed, waiting to see where the assistant would take him.

The pair moved down the aisles before coming to a stop in front of a particular row of books. H.E.R.B.I.E. then rose up higher to reach the taller books before a mechanical arm emerged from a hidden panel in his sides and took hold of several books in the selection. With the titles selected, the hovering robot came back to the ground before presenting its selection to Shinichi for approval.

"_Enjoy,_" H.E.R.B.I.E. commented as Shinichi took the books.

With the appropriate books in hand, Shinichi sat down to read. From what he knew of assassins in ancient times, they always had weapons concealed on their clothing. Sometimes, assassins would use poisons to get the job done or even their bare hands once they got close enough to their targets. Shinichi thought back to Assassin's attempt on his life. The mist had not been natural and Rider did say that any distinctive ability a Servant had was called their Noble Phantasm. Maybe there was a mention of Hassan-I-Sabbah using mist as cover when they performed their assassinations.

Shinichi recalled how he'd been sliced by a blade. It couldn't be a sword. Swords had a farther range and he could see Assassin's outline quite clearly. It had to be some sort of knife which required Assassin to get close to him and kill him. The killer Servant had cut him a few times, spilled his blood and ruined his clothes. That was another clue as to Assassin's identity. No two assassins truly killed alike unless they were pinning the kill on someone else. If the stories were detailed enough, it would help identify who Hassan-I-Sabbah was.

That would be key since so far what Shinichi found on the legendary killers was not inspiring. According to the sources, there were 19 Hassan-I-Sabbah who were the leaders of their clan. It rendered knowing Assassin's name moot since there were so many of them who bore the same name. Each one seemed to have a very specific ability which made them so lethal in battle. The ones which the book had mentioned thus far were certainly not inspiring. One supposedly grafted a demon's arm over his own, another could poison anyone with just a touch, a third could destroy a person's mind, and one had even purposefully fragmented his own psyche into multiple personalities so to master all disciplines which as assassin would use. Shinichi could see the deadly potential in each of the legendary killers, but none of them seemed to have the mist skill which he had seen Assassin use that day. That meant he would have to look for mention of the other leaders to see what skills they possessed. Knowledge was key here in the war and knowing who Assassin was would make it that much easier to defeat him.

Berserker and Assassin so far were huge threats. Berserker, who was now contracted Gebok, would be a deadly opponent. Assassin was as well. It was also very likely that Assassin would be targeting Rika and Rena for being Masters in this Holy Grail War. Unlike those two girls he could put up a fight against a Servant and he had a lot of combat experience. Those girls wouldn't be able to survive an encounter with an enemy Servant, even with their own Servants. The only way to keep them from getting hurt was to eliminate their Servants, thus disqualifying them from the Holy Grail War.

However, in doing so, he would have Rika and Rena hate him. From what he could see, Rena and Rika were quite fond of their Servants now. Thinking of how close Saber was to Rena both relieved and agitated him. He knew his agitation was caused by envy. The guy was a tall and handsome knight like from the fairytales that she had probably read when she had been a little girl. No, he wouldn't stoop so low as that. Besides, the other Servants would likely eliminate them instead so there was no need for him to do anything.

Berserker and Assassin were a high priority now. The logical thing to do would be to offer an alliance with Archer and Saber.

After reading several books, he was about to put them away when he spotted Shogo coming in. "Oh, Shogo, what are you doing down here?"

"Just some research," said Shogo. "Someone's taking out Darkloids and I'm here to find out who it is."

"Really?" Shinichi blinked. "I was doing the same thing."

"I heard from Mion-sama," said Shogo. "Level with me though. It wasn't a Darkloid which attacked you was it? Mion-sama mentioned the mist and an unseen attacker so it makes me think that whatever butchered the Darkloid yesterday and hunted you today are one and the same."

"Most likely," Shinichi sighed.

Shogo nodded and took a seat in front of Shinichi, grabbing a book. Cocking an eyebrow, he questioned, "The Hashashin? Why are you researching them?"

"Because I think the one we're looking for is one of them," Shinichi replied. "A Hassan-I-Sabbah to be specific."

"The Old Man in the Mountain?" Shogo blinked. "Okay, while I admit that their skills for their time was impressive and used in some of our training in GIN-SHOCKER, there hasn't been a Hassan-I-Sabbah in centuries. The Hashashin are extinct."

"That would be the official story, wouldn't it?" Shinichi asked. "In this day and age, a guild of assassins would be a well kept secret, wouldn't it?"

"I guess…if you put it that way…" Shogo admitted. The thought of a guild of killers who would tear apart their targets like the Darkloid had been caused him to grow somewhat pale.

"You OK? You seem kind of pale," Shinichi observed.

"Sorry, just remembering the way that Darkloid died," said Shogo. "It wasn't pretty."

"Do tell," said Shinichi, interested.

Shogo described the carcass of the Darkloid he'd found once the mist had subsided and even Shinichi looked like he was about to gag. Shogo's description was rather graphic. Unfortunately in this case, all of the NUMBERS had been trained to recall everything they had seen in as precise detail as they could and with the cybernetic implants they received in their brains, they had more than adequate capability to remember fine details.

"So, it was cut open, and had its organs cut out," said Shinichi, disgusted yet horrible fascinated at the same time since Darkloid biology was something of a mystery to the folks at ARMOR.

"Complete and utter mutilation," Shogo finished. "You're lucky. If it really was the same guy you could've ended up like that."

"Yeah…" said Shinichi nervously, rubbing his throat with some discomfort. If Assassin had the drive to go that far against a target, then it was more than simple professionalism which drove him but compulsion and desire to destroy their targets in such a way. "Well, I hope you find something."

"You heading somewhere?"

"Just meeting some people," Shinichi said, standing up. H.E.R.B.I.E. quickly moved towards the table to retrieve the books in order to reshelf them. "Nothing you need to worry about yet."

* * *

><p>The meeting was to take place at the Furude Shrine. Shinichi had already called Rena and afterwards he, Rika and Hanyuu were on their way to the holy grounds of the Furude Shrine. It was the perfect meeting place. They needed to talk about what they needed to do in this Holy Grail War. Rider was already with Shinichi as they waited for their friends. Rika and Hanyuu were the next ones to arrive and Archer was of course with them, walking between them like a protective big brother which gave rise to a bit of Shinichi's ire. Last to arrive were none than Rena and Saber, which did give a spike to Shinichi's jealousy when he saw the knight walking with his girlfriend.<p>

"You wished to speak with us?" asked Archer politely, but professionally.

"Yeah," Shinichi sighed. "I think it's time that we made an alliance with one another during this War. At the moment Berserker and Assassin are the major threats and need to be taken down at all costs before they start getting innocent people killed. Assassin can literally strike from anywhere and I don't think concrete walls are going to be enough to stop Berserker."

"A logical idea," Saber nodded. "But what of after we defeat them?"

"There's still Lancer and Caster to consider," Rider offered. "I'm pretty sure one of them was lurking around today during the attack but didn't get in on the action so I'm not sure if there's any motive there yet."

"So despite there being only three of us, there are still many enemies to defeat first before we can consider our options against each other," Archer nodded. "Since Master is friends with the two of you, I can understand that an alliance is a natural thing to consider."

"I like it!" Rena offered. "That way we don't have to hurt each other and can instead focus on the bad guys! It's perfect!"

"I agree. Nipah!" Rika offered.

"Au! Wonderful!" Hanyuu beamed, glad to know that none of her friends would be trying to hurt or kill each other.

"We're in agreement then," Shinichi nodded. "So for the time being, Saber, Archer, and Rider will be working together to eliminate the other Servants in this Holy Grail War."

* * *

><p>"I think tonight is a good time for us to do some training," said Caster as he sat at the dinner table with Satoshi and Satoko.<p>

"Training?" Satoshi asked.

"That's right. Considering that earlier today a friend of yours was assaulted and would've been killed if it weren't for his abnormal healing rate," explained Caster, referring to the game of Zombie Tag which had ended, revealing Shinichi with blood stains all over his clothes.

"Those Darkloids love to pick a fight with Shinichi-san," said Satoko, "It's because he's one of the few in this village that can actually kill them."

"Yes, and these Darkloids are dangerous. They may not be like us Servants but I do believe that they will be a threat in this War as well. They pop up randomly, don't they?"

"Yeah, and Shinichi has to go out to deal with them when they do," sighed Satoshi.

"Well, how would you like to be one of the few who can personally deal some damage to these cretins?" asked Caster. "There simply isn't a better time for us to apply my abilities in a more combat-oriented setting."

"Will I need a weapon?" Satoshi asked.

"Please do."

"Can I come?" Satoko asked.

"No," Satoshi objected.

"But, Nii-nii!" whined Satoko.

"Oh, take her along. I do love an audience," countered Caster.

"Considering how you dress I'm not surprised," commented Satoshi.

* * *

><p>The four witches and the Infernal Merchant all peered at the game board which showed the newest entertainment they were receiving. Beatrice was idly watching, enjoying the building tension of the Servants. Lambdadelta looked impatient, wanting more violence to come about. Virgilia was holding judgement for the time being, preferring to see for herself how things would turn out before deciding on a course of action.<p>

Beatrice watched over the interactions of the Masters and the Servants and she had to admit she was disappointed with how things were going so far. Oh, the concept of Topper's newest game was most intriguing. There were legendary heroes from various different ages fighting and killing each other for the prize at the end of a competition? What fun! It was more fun than her last game with Battler! Still, what was disappointing about it so far was that most of the Masters were friends and were not likely going to battle each other unless something drastic occurred. No, this needed her personal touch.

"Merchant," she spoke up, looking to Topper. The man perked up, but the smile on his face revealed he had been expecting her to speak.

"Yes?" he grinned.

"I would ask that I select a Master to do battle in this war," Beatrice requested. "Things are too boring right now with so many of them being friends."

"Well, there are two empty slots available which aren't explored in most mainstream universes where the Grail Wars take place," Topper shrugged, once again his tone revealing he had expected everything which was happening. "If one of your fellow witches will second your request, I don't see why not."

"Excellent," Beatrice beamed. She then turned to look at her mentor. "Teacher?"

"Hm," the former Golden Witch pondered. "What are the remaining slots known as?"

"Avenger and Saver," the Infernal Merchant replied.

"Then so long as the Master we select summons Saver, I do not see why I cannot second Beatrice's request," the smiling witch shrugged.

"Bernkastel and I will take Avenger!" Lambdadelta called, waving her arm childishly.

"I suppose," the Witch of Miracles shrugged.

"Well then, let the summoning of Saver and Avenger commence! Select thy chosen Masters and let the Servants manifest!" declared Topper.

Bernkastel decided to voice what was on her mind. "Merchant. I have a question," she spoke.

"Then ask," Topper smiled. "For this game, information is free."

"Surely you have a means of telling the combatants what is required of them and what they are fighting for?" asked the Witch of Miracles. "Otherwise they would just stumble about and I for one can say that a game is no fun unless there are rules."

"You read my mind!" Topper grinned. "I have already made arrangements for that."

Topper raised his hand and snapped his fingers. In reaction, coloured pieces of glass flew out of the darkness towards the seven stained glass windows depicting the Masters and their Servants. The pieces of glass all formed together to form a new stained glass window. This one depicted Topper near the top while below him sat a female figure on a throne holding several cards in her hand.

"You are taking part?" asked Virgilia.

"No, no," Topper denied. "Merely sending a representative to make sure the rules are known." He then declared, "And now, come forth, Servant Ruler!"

A magical array appeared before him, glowing brightly before becoming a pillar of light. As the pillar shrank, someone could be seen slowly appearing within the magical array. The light vanished and the someone revealed themselves fully.

That someone was in fact, female. Her hair was coloured dark obsidian which came down to her shoulders and was as straight and smooth as a river. Her eyes were an emerald green which stood out against her bronze skin. She first appeared to be of Arabic descent, but a deeper examination of her features would reveal a mix between Arabic and Mediterranean features, of which she quite obviously got the best of both. A golden hoop rested on her head, keeping her hair from her face and was decorated on the front of a scarab filled with blue precious stones with bird wings coming out of its sides. Her eyes were decorated with mascara, making them resemble the famous eye hieroglyphs of Egypt. Her torso was covered by golden metal which fit her snugly and accented her gifted figure, but was decorated with another image of a winged scarab near her collarbone and lines of hieroglyphs. Her arms were bare save for golden bracelets studded with precious stones. In her one hand was a long spear decorated with a golden snake circling around it which ended with a sharp spear point coming out of the snake's mouth. Around her waist she wore a simple white linen skirt which was open at the sides so to allow her legs free movement while her feet were protected by simple sandals which had straps that wrapped up her legs. It was almost as if a foreign goddess had suddenly appeared.

"By your summons, I have appeared. I am Servant Ruler," the woman spoke.

"Excellent of you to join us my dear," Topper smiled. "Your role will begin shortly. As for now, the lovely witches four have to select their two champions who will summon the last two Servants."

"Tut, tut Merchant. I am a married woman," Beatrice teased. Smiling, she turned to her old teacher. "Well then, Teacher, shall we select our playing piece?"

"We shall," the former Golden Witch nodded. Looking down to the game board, she eyed it for a moment before pointing at a specific space. "This one."

"That one?" Beatrice blinked, but then she giggled. "You always had a weakness for the cute ones."

"So I do," Virgilia giggled in turn. "Do you see a problem?"

"No. It's an interesting twist," Beatrice nodded. "Let's do it."

The two witches raised their hands and snapped their fingers. The sound echoed through the air like a thunder crash. In response, more stained glass appeared from the darkness before converging next to the others. It formed together to become a ninth stained glass window. This one took the form of a figure in white robes that was resting their head in the lap of a female figure with long blonde hair dressed in a green outfit.

"Excellent," Topper smiled. "Bernkastel, Lambdadelta, do you have your piece picked out?"

"Sure do!" The Witch of Certainty grinned maliciously. She pointed down at the game board. "Right here!"

"Hm?" Bernkastel sighed as she looked to where her partner was pointing. She blinked, but then a light smile came over her lips. "Oh, now that is interesting."

"What is?" asked Beatrice as she tried to sneak a peek. She peered down for a moment, but then a grin overcame her face. "Oh, you're using one of my pieces eh? How ironic, but nostalgic too! Battler may not approve, but I say do it anyway!"

Lambdadelta and Bernkastel smiled before they clapped their hands, summoning numerous shards out of the darkness which like before flew to the other stained glass windows. These ones formed together and made the tenth and final window for the Observers to witness. This one held the image of a blonde girl on a shoreline looking out to sea. Right next to her and much taller than she could ever hope to be was a hulking gray figure with golden hair that was standing proudly next to her.

"Now then, all ten slots are filled," Topper smiled. He looked over to where his Servant Ruler was respectfully waiting for orders. "Ruler, be so kind as to go down to Hinamizawa and explain to our nine combatants just what the rules are."

"Yes Master," Ruler nodded.

"Good. Off you go then," Topper snapped his fingers, and Ruler was gone in a puff of smoke.

* * *

><p>Dr. Irie was at his clinic as he went and checked on another patient in one of the rooms. This one was yet another young victim who'd succumbed to the Hinamizawa Syndrome. It was only due to quick action that she was subdued before she succumbed to the symptoms prevalent in the higher levels of the disease. The Hinamizawa Syndrome, which was disease that caused violent psychological changes to the victim, was a dangerous disease that Dr. Irie was trying to find a cure for. It was assumed that the disease was caused by a parasite indigenous to Hinamizawa. Superstition, however, stated that the Hinamizawa Syndrome was a manifestation of Oyashiro-sama's Curse. The truth was that the disease was caused by the presence of demons called Darklings and Darkloids and the parasites were actually Darklings in their larval stage. They would infect a person and remain dormant but then for some reason they would magnify a person's paranoia, causing them to experience horrifying delusions, forcing them to commit horrendous acts of violence, before finally ending their own lives by scratching out their throats. From there, the larval Darklings would escape from the bodies and grow into true Darklings and from there into Darkloids.<p>

Dr. Irie had seen photos of the syndrome's victims while working with Miyo Takano and has been working on a cure for it since he began working in Hinamizawa. The TOKYO organization had, of course, pulled away funding for the research but Dr. Irie was not deterred. He was going to find a cure for this disease, or at least a way to suppress it so that it would not be a danger to anyone ever again. He owed it to the people after practically helping Takano get the information she needed to cook up her plan for genocide on everyone in the village.

The girl, who was put in a medically induced coma to keep her safe, was only 11 years old. For some inexplicable reason she had suddenly gone berserk and started attacking her family, yelling and screaming like an insane maniac before she was subdued. Dr. Irie had diagnosed her as suffering from the end stage of Level 3. She would've grown increasingly violent if left untreated. It was heartbreaking for her parents, but they agreed that it was too dangerous for her to be around while she was suffering from the syndrome. She would be a threat to everyone around her herself and had to be put in a secure place. So they signed the papers and allowed her to be rendered comatose until such a time

After a few moments of dark reminiscing and checking the girl's vitals, he left her to her hopefully peaceful dreams. Were he to take a look at the girl herself rather than the machines hooked up to her, he would have noticed an ornate tattoo on her hand appearing in the form of an apple split into three pieces on her hand.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on the island of Rokkenjima, Jessica Ushiromiya sighed once more as she observed Kanon working from the window in her workout room while she was taking a drink of water. She was the only daughter of both Krauss and Natsuhi Ushiromiya. Her father was also the eldest son of Kinzo Ushiromiya, the Head of the Ushiromiya family.<p>

As the daughter of the eldest son of the Ushiromiya family, she had to live by her parents' expectations and act properly. That meant that she would one day marry someone of her status. However, she was not interested in rich boys. They were all too rich, snobby, spineless, or bully-ish for her tastes. None of them were worth her attention in her opinion. The only boy she was interested it was right in front of her but unfortunately he was a butler and beneath her status.

She loved him, she really did, ever since she met him. He was kind, gentle, and also very cute. He had a feminine face and soft spoken. He was also stiff and fun to tease at times as well. She had seen him smile once, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. As much as she wanted to pursue a relationship with him, she knew her parents and grandfather would not allow it. They expected a lot from her and it was stressing her out. That was why she took her frustrations out on a punching bag with her brass knuckles to rid herself of the stress, but hitting the punching bag was only a temporary solution and she always found herself crying.

"It's not fair…" She sighed, reluctantly turning her attention away from Kanon. She was rich, but she was trapped, like a bird in a gilded cage.

She wished there was a way for her to be together with Kanon. It was that wish which made her go into her grandfather's library and grab a book on magic. Her grandfather was a man who held a strong interest of the occult. He was always talking about the Golden Witch Beatrice, whose portrait was hung on the wall, and that it was she who had granted his wish which resulted in their family's fortune. Most would believe he was a senile old man with demented delusions but Jessica had an open mind. Besides, what could hurt?

The book she had taken was about summoning a Familiar and binding it to the summoner. She was going to need someplace private to perform this spell, though. The old chapel on the island would be a good place, but she would need to do this as night and sneak out of the house without anyone noticing. She didn't want to wake anybody and get into trouble. Taking the book without her grandfather's permission would already get her into a ton of trouble but he had so many so he wouldn't notice one missing book, or at least she hoped so.

Walking to where she had her towel set out, Jessica picked up the book in question. It was written in Latin, but she managed to know what it said on account of Latin being one of the languages her grandfather demanded his children and later grandchildren to learn in the course of their schooling. Of course, her parents, aunts, and uncles never used it anymore since it didn't have a place in their careers. However, Jessica still had those lessons fresh in her mind so reading the book was simple for her.

"Don't worry Kanon," she murmured softly as she cradled the book almost like a newborn child. "With this, we'll get to be together."

* * *

><p>The day wore on for Dr. Irie and the last of the patients had gone home for the night. Hana and Michiru were packing up the last of the paperwork before they left. The two were a veritable godsend for the good doctor since it left him more time to get his vital work done and they were some welcome company. Now if he could only get them to wear those maid uniforms he'd be pretty darn happy. They wouldn't be as cute as Satoko would be, but pretty darn cute all the same.<p>

Stifling a yawn, he walked through the halls to check his long-term patients and how they were holding up against the syndrome. It was always depressing to see them and every year there were at least two or three more new cases popping up. Still, Dr. Irie kept the faith and hoped that one day he'd be able to crack the mysteries of the syndrome and cure everyone.

Turning a corner, Irie froze when he saw what seemed like a layer of clouding dust pouring from the Hinamizawa Syndrome ward. Fearing that something had broken or caught fire, the doctor charged towards the ward to see if he could save his patients or not. Reaching the door which the source of the dust was coming from, Dr. Irie slammed the door open while fearing the worst.

What he got was much different.

The ward was perfectly fine, if not a few papers on the floor than he remembered, but the open window explained that much. What was surprising was that at the side of the child patient's bed was a woman.

She seemed like a petite but ethereal kind of beauty. She was dressed in a green and black outfit which had a wide skirt and puffed shoulders. Around her neck was a choker-like ornament which connected under her dress and on her chest was a gold plate. Her hands were covered in gloves with the right one having an arm guard, making Dr. Irie believe that the woman was skilled in archery. Her legs were covered in boots which went up to her knees and stocking which were similarly designed that went up to her thighs before vanishing beneath her skirt. Her hair was a golden blonde which reached down her back and actually touched the floor where she was sitting, especially the ponytail which looked like an animal's tail that was pooled on the ground. On top of her head her hair seemed styled with cowlicks that looked like animal ears. Her face was pale and very beautiful, making Dr. Irie blush slightly just from looking at her. Her eyes were jade and her skin was like porcelain and looked so gentle but at the same time very hard, like she had been on a battlefield in her life.

The woman was calmly sitting in a chair next to the comatose child, holding her hand while caressing the top of her head. She seemed to take notice of the doctor and become slightly guarded, as if ready to protect the child should it be needed.

"Are you a physician stationed here?" she asked succinctly, her voice sounding royally melodious.

"Um…" Dr. Irie choked, but regained his composure. "Yes, yes I am."

"Then can you tell me what is wrong with this child?" the woman asked. "I arrived here to see her and assumed she was sleeping, but when I tried to wake her up she would not move."

"Ah," Dr. Irie nodded. This woman must be a relative who had heard about what happened. Likely Hana or Michiru had let her in. Visits to the syndrome patients weren't recorded since Dr. Irie didn't want anyone to know they were there except for the families so that the villagers wouldn't cause a panic over the disease they considered a curse. Some of the more religious members of the community might end up doing something crazy, like sacrificing the patients believing it would lift the curse. Hinamizawa's past had numerous rituals like that.

"She won't wake up," the doctor explained. "We've been injecting her with a solution which will prevent her from doing that and…"

The air suddenly became very heavy with malice as the woman began glaring at the doctor. She looked as pleasant as ever, but the raw fury behind her eyes was unmistakable. Dr. Irie choked on his tongue as he felt the wave of anger wash over him. For a brief second, he saw an image of himself being pierced with hundreds of arrows, turning him into a pile of mush.

"Why?" the woman asked, her voice stoic and very cold.

"She…she was infected with the later stages of the Hinamizawa Syndrome," Dr. Irie replied, taking a step back. "At the stage she was at, she was a danger to herself and everyone around her. We had to sedate her so she wouldn't hurt anyone."

The glare weakened, and Dr. Irie didn't feel like his life was in danger anymore, but the woman was still staring at him distrustfully as she continued to caress the child's head and hold her hand, "Explain to me this…Hinamizawa Syndrome."

"It's…well, we're not too sure where it comes from but I believe that it is a parasite which is able to burrow deep into a victim and remain there for a very long time," Dr. Irie explained.

"And the symptoms?" asked the woman, looking to the child.

"Levels one and two show no symptoms," Dr. Irie explained. "Since it's impossible to detect until the later stages, it's hard to tell just how many people are infected. However, the difference in the levels is brought out by paranoia, stress, and anxiety. Her parents told me that she's been having troubles at school both academically and with some of her peers who have been giving her trouble." Irie was silent for a moment as he regarded the woman whose attention as solely on the child. "Level three is extreme mental and emotional instability which can result in breakdowns and violence. Level four is paranoia and hallucinations which cause the victims to lash out and even attempt to kill people around them. Finally level five has the victims attack themselves, feeling as if they are covered in bugs which usually has them clawing at their own throats."

The woman was silent as she regarded the child, "And what stage was this child at?"

"Easily level three, if not bordering on level four if the amount of violence she was showing when they managed to subdue her is any indication," the doctor sighed.

"And there is no cure?"

"There is a vaccine I managed to make to prevent people from catching it," Dr. Irie explained. "However, there's no cure for the people who already have it."

The woman turned silent, stroking the child's hair some more. The good doctor remained silent, allowing the woman some solace. He truly did feel for the people of Hinamizawa and the losses they dealt with when the syndrome became involved. Only once did a small group of people who were infected from stages three to five manage to come back to full sanity. However, Dr. Irie was unable to learn how or why it happened since any signs of the parasites responsible had just vanished. What the man that was perhaps the parasites were starved out of their victims, or worse decided to go and infect others. There was much rejoicing at their recovery, but Irie had never gotten a straight answer as to how it had happened.

"She and I were meant to enter a competition together," the woman lamented. "Now it seems that I will have to go on alone."

"I'm sorry," Dr. Irie sighed. It seemed he had to use those words at least once a day ever since he began in Hinamizawa.

"Do not be," the woman replied, standing up. She gently placed the girl's hand down and turned to regard the doctor. "She is alive, and that means there is still hope. Should I win this competition, I will use the prize to eliminate this parasite from the face of the earth."

"Any help is greatly appreciated," Dr. irie smiled, thinking that the woman was talking about a competition with a cash prize.

"It is good to see that there truly are good men left in the world," the woman nodded. "If you would excuse me."

Irie moved out of the woman's way and let her leave the ward. Taking a moment to check the girl's vitals and satisfied that she was in the acceptable range, he left. Shutting the door, he didn't see the woman in green, but he had a feeling that he would see her again soon.

* * *

><p>"Ah, so they live in the forest," said Caster as he trekked through the woods, keeping up with Satoko and Satoshi.<p>

"They appear around these parts," said Satoshi, "Always coming out from the shadows. It's not like they'll show up because they're here. Shinichi always knows where to find them."

"Can he sense them?" Caster asked, interested.

"I guess he can," Satoshi said uncertainly. He had never really asked how Shinichi managed to find Darklings and Darkloids. In fact, it seemed more like they were drawn to him. Of course, it made sense, considering Shinichi's past.

"This looks like an ideal spot," said Caster. It was deep in the woods, the only light coming from the moon and the stars. "And now we wait."

* * *

><p>Jessica went to the chapel to perform the ritual. She had high hopes for this to work but she was also a little skeptical. However, she was going to try it anyway, at least to see if it worked or not. Sneaking out of her room had been easy, but walking quietly through the mansion to get out to the chapel was a bit of a challenge. Most of the hallways were covered in tile or hardwood so she had to walk in her shocks in order not to wake up her family or the servants.<p>

Passing through the main hall, she eyed the portrait of the witch Beatrice her grandfather insisted to be hung there. The woman was beautiful, Jessica would enviously admit, but there was something about the portrait which unsettled her. It was if the woman was eyeing everyone who passed under its gaze to be beneath her, like someone who saw their toys moving about on their own like wind-up dolls. Still, the picture seemed more realistic in the dark, like the woman was sitting right there as if she was real. However, Jessica got the sense that the woman was smiling at her in some sort of amused approval.

Adjacent to Beatrice's portrait was the poem which was titled The Witch's Epitaph.

_My beloved hometown, the sweet fish river running through it._

_You who seek the Golden Land, follow its path downstream and seek the key._

_If you follow the river downstream, you will find a village._

_In the village, look for the shore the two will tell you of._

_There sleeps the key to the Golden Land._

_He who lays hand upon the key shall travel under the rules below._

_At the first twilight, you shall lift up as sacrifice the six chosen by the key._

_At the second twilight, the surviving shall tear apart the two who are close._

_At the third twilight, the surviving shall praise my honourable name on high._

_At the fourth twilight, gouge the head and kill._

_At the fifth twilight, gouge the chest and kill._

_At the sixth twilight, gouge the stomach and kill._

_At the seventh twilight, gouge the knee and kill._

_At the eighth twilight, gouge the leg and kill._

_At the ninth twilight, the witch shall be revived and none shall be left alive._

_At the tenth twilight, the journey shall end and you should reach the village of gold._

_The Witch shall praise the wise, and should bestow four treasures._

_One shall be, all gold from the Golden Land._

_One shall be, the resurrection of all souls of all the dead._

_One shall be, even the resurrection of the lost love._

_One shall be, to put the Witch to sleep for all time._

_Sleep peacefully, my most beloved witch, Beatrice._

It was a kind of disgusting and morbid poem to Jessica, but almost all of the adult members of her family were very interested in it. All of them thought that it was a riddle which would explain where her grandfather had hidden his fortune and would be inherited by whoever solved the riddle. Her parents would ponder over it often, trying to figure out where the Golden Land was supposed to be and supposedly where her grandfather's fortune was supposed to be. Jessica herself felt a bad vibe coming from the poem since so much of it was about killing thirteen people in total. Something as bloody as that poem leading to treasure? Jessica doubted it.

Reaching the front door, she opened it as quietly as she could before stepping outside. Carrying her shoes and supplies, she got her feet covered and headed out to where the chapel was situated. The chapel wasn't locked since only family members and a few employees were on the island so if anything went missing it would be easy enough to figure out who had stolen it. Walking past the pews, she reached the front where the altar was place.

She quickly got her supplies out and opened the book to a page describing a complex circle to be drawn on the floor. Since she wanted to summon something powerful enough to grant her wish she went with the most complex design she could find so to summon something powerful and be able to contain it. After reading the instructions, Jessica set to work with some chalk she managed to get from school. It took some bad starts and an hour of her time, but she managed to make the circle and all of the intricate designs within it at long last. Her task complete, Jessica took candles from the altar and set them up around the edge of the circle for a light source she could read by.

"Okay," she whispered, wetting her lips. "Here goes nothing."

There was incantation in the book and so she recited it, believing in each word she uttered. The first step to casting magic was to believe in it, truly believe in it, and to believe in the miracle of magic. She clenched her fists as she concentrated on the ritual, not letting anything else distract her from her goal. She didn't even react when she heard a crash of thunder as rain began to fall outside the chapel. It felt like she was in the middle of a horror movie, right where everything would turn scary and bloody for the main characters. Still, she managed to not get distracted as she continued her chant.

The circle began to glow, much to her surprise, and she then saw a figure began to rise from it. Could this be the Familiar she had called forth? However, in the midst of her excitement she recalled that she had not been really specific as to the nature of the Familiar. Then doubt and fear began to manifest as she began to think. Had she summoned a demon from Hell? Would she be able to control it? The questions ended when a burning sensation came to her right hand, making her flinch. Gripping her wrist, she gazed at her hand to see a side profile of a roman helmet which started solid and then seemed to go into tails like dissolving into wind. The helmet was split into three pieces which the top ornament, the middle section with the eyepieces, and the base.

The figure continued emerging from the circle before he completely materialized and Jessica almost choked at the sight as lightning crashed, lighting up the chapel. He was a massive man who towered over everyone she knew. He was raw muscle masculinity which for a brief second made Jessica forget about Kanon. His chest was partially covered with leather straps and metal plating which covered his abdomen and parts of his pectoral muscles. His hands were covered in leather gloves with his right hand holding a simple sword with a silver bracer with three flat spearhead spikes on it. His waist bore a metal kilt which thankfully hid his private parts. He wore leg bracers which were silver, but his feet were bare. His face held a square jaw and chiseled features with more leather straps covering it like a protective mask which didn't cover his features. His hair was golden was tied back in a ponytail with the front sections framing his face.

"Uh…uh…uh…" Jessica gasped, looking at the man with a bright flush on her face.

"By your summons, I have come," the man spoke, his voice deep and commanding. "I am Servant Avenger. Are you my Master?"

* * *

><p>The baseball bat smashed into the Darkling's head, sending it flying into a tree. They were coming out from their hiding places. Satoko stuck close to Caster as Satoshi stood up against the oncoming demons. How the Servant had convinced Satoshi that Satoko could come along he just couldn't tell? They had been checking the forest for Darklings on Caster's insistence as well and unfortunately had managed to find them. Satoshi managed to knock away a few of them, but more were coming and the blond boy didn't like his chances.<p>

"OK, Caster, now would be a good time for you to do that magic," said Satoshi. He wasn't a superhero like Shinichi, so he didn't have superpowers. All he had was a baseball bat. If Caster's claims about his abilities were true though, that was all he would need.

The Servant went into action and opened his book while his quill flew into his free hand. It lit up in the darkness as he began to write the glowing words along the pages. Satoshi's arms and bat became enveloped in the same white glow as before, but also his legs. Feeling energized, Satoshi turned to see a Darkling lunge at him. The blonde quickly went into motion, moving much faster than he ever had before and managed to dodge the attack with room to spare. He then reared his bat back before smashing it into the Darkling's head. The monster's cranium exploded like a dust ball with the body dropping to the ground before beginning to dissolve.

"Go Nii-nii!" Satoko cheered.

More Darklings charged at the teenage boy but his baseball bat not only managed to kill the ones he managed to strike in a vital spot. Still, the deaths of their brethren didn't seem to deter the monsters. Instead, it only seemed to make them hone in on him and attempt to destroy him. The baseball bat enchanted to become so powerful was good, but it wasn't an invincible weapon to defeat the Darklings with.

"Hmm, perhaps a new element then," Caster frowned, acting like a director to a play rather than someone in the midst of battle. Flicking his quill, the glow turned red before he began writing again. The baseball bat in Satoshi's hands turned bright red as if it could catch on fire at any moment. He didn't notice as he swung his weapon at the nearest Darkling. When the weapon struck, a blast of fire came from the impact point which destroyed the head of the Darkling and set the neck and shoulders on fire, stunning the other Darklings as they tried to shield their eyes and bodies from the light which the embers created.

"Master, fall back and strike the ground with your weapon!" Caster called to Satoshi. "I gave it a special surprise for your enemies!"

Deciding not to argue with the man, Satoshi leaped backwards from the Darklings, his reinforced legs giving him over several feet of distance from the monsters. Landing in a crouch, he raised the red bat up and smashed it into the ground. The effect was immediate as the ground under the Darklings' bulged with glowing cracks in it. Soon after, the bulge exploded with the force of a bomb igniting the bodies of all of the Darklings, sending them sprawling in screaming fireballs which exploded almost like giant firecrackers. The flames died down quickly, but left a crater and blackened earth in its wake.

"Woah," Satoshi panted, looking at his handiwork.

"Well done Master," Caster nodded in approval.

"Wow Nii-nii!" Satoko cheered, her eyes sparkling in admiration.

Satoshi stood up and grinned at his sister and Servant. Was this how Shinichi felt when he managed to take down Darkloids and other monsters?

Unbeknownst to them, they were being spied on by a pair of pale blue eyes. Her observation done, Assassin quickly astralized and left the scene.

* * *

><p>"Servant…Avenger?" Jessica asked.<p>

"Yes," the massive man nodded. "You are the one who summoned me?"

"Ah…yes," Jessica nodded.

Jessica's mind was reeling about what she had just done. She had actually managed to summon something just like her grandfather's books said she could! She hadn't been sure what she had been expecting, but she certainly wasn't expecting the muscular and obviously powerful man which was standing in front of her. He was without a doubt the shape and form her friends at school would scream over, wanting to get close to him and have him pat attention to them. Put him in some stylish clothes and clean up his hair and he'd be every girl's wet dream. As it was, Jessica couldn't stop herself from staring at him.

'_Scrumptious!'_

Her blatant ogling was quickly cut short when the doors to the chapel suddenly burst open. She jumped in fright and turned to see how had come. She feared that her grandfather or parents had figured out she had stolen one of the books. Lightning crashed through the sky, flooding the room with light. She quickly noticed that it wasn't a member of her family which had entered, but a beautiful woman who looked Egyptian and dressed in silk and gold finery that wouldn't have looked out of place on a model or a princess of some kind.

Avenger growled at the sight of the woman and stepped forward, placing his sword in front of Jessica so to bar the woman's sight of her. "Master, stay behind me at all times."

"Peace, Servant Avenger," the woman replied, raising her hand. "I am no enemy of yours. I am Servant Ruler, the moderator for the Holy Grail War. I am here to regale your Master on the rules and procedures of what is to come."

"Holy Grail War?" asked Jessica.

Avenger was silent for a moment for a moment as he judged the so-called Ruler's attention. After what felt like a moment of time, the tower of muscle lowered his sword and relaxed his stance, "Say your piece then, Ruler."

Nodding, the woman stepped into the chapel. Oddly enough, she didn't seem like she had been caught out in the storm that had kicked up the same time that Jessica had begun her summoning ritual. Approaching the altar, the woman stopped just short of it and instead seated herself at the top of the stairs which Jessica was standing at. She gestured to the teenage girl to sit down next to her. Unsure at the moment, Jessica took a seat next to her.

"Jessica Ushiromiya," Ruler spoke. "Congratulations are in order. You've just become one of the preciously few who can count themselves as a competitor in the Holy Grail War. Out of all of the people, there are only nine who can truly attempt to make their dreams come true."

"You said that before, but what does it mean?" asked Jessica.

"It's a battle between nine chosen Masters and their Servants to claim what is known as the Holy Grail and with it, be granted a wish for absolutely anything they desire," Ruler explained.

"Really?-!" Jessica gasped. That meant if she won, she could be with Kanon!

"Indeed," Ruler nodded. "However, it will not be easy. You see, Servants are actually quite formidable. We are what you would call Heroic Spirits. We are legendary figures from history summoned back to Earth thanks to the power of the Grail and given physical form. To protect our identities as well as keep our weaknesses a secret from our enemies who would no doubt use them against us we must keep our names a secret. To that end, we take on the name of our classes which in turn reflect our skill set. For example, I am Ruler while you had summoned Avenger."

"So…what are the other classes?" asked Jessica.

"I am glad you asked," Ruler smiled. With a flick of her wrist, she produced ten cards which looked like they had come out of a tarot deck. Picking the first one, she revealed it as a scrawny man who was heavily chained. "The first is Avenger. They are the wild card class who can emulate the qualities of one of the other classes. Which one that is being emulated is up to you to discover." Setting the card on the floor, she drew another. This one depicted a royal figure standing proud with their eyes closed. "The next is Servant Ruler, me. These Servants do not take part in the War but ensure that the rules are enforced and all of the Masters and Servants follow them. None are above the rules." She placed the card next to the Avenger card and drew a third which depicted a knight on a chariot. "Next we have Rider. These Servants have a variable skill set, but have unparalleled skill when it comes to riding on a steed, be it horse, ship, or magical beast." The Rider card was set down for another which had a man with a massive sword and a wolf-like head. "Next is Berserker. These souls are truly and inescapably mad, but their insanity makes them that much more powerful. Beware these Servants." The Berserker card was set aside for a man in robes with a book and staff. "Caster, the Servant who is a master of magic skill. Don't assume that grandfather of yours even comes close to mastery. These Servants exist on a level he can't even compare with." The Caster card was the replaced with a card depicting a Buddha-like man sitting on a green podium with gold decoration and red ribbons. "Servant Saver. These were people who were divine Servants or have relation to divine powers. They can have powers from any of the classes, but empowered by the god they served or are related to." The Saver card was then set down for a card which depicted a man dressed in black with daggers and a skull mask. "Assassin, a legendary killer. They alone have the ability to conceal themselves from detection through magical means and use the art of silent killing." Ruler set the card down and drew the next one which depicted a man with a large hat and a long spear in his hand. "Lancer, first of the three Knight Classes who are characterized by their ability to resist magical effects. They are without a doubt the fastest of the classes." The Lancer was replaced with an image of a woman in red notching back an arrow. "Servant Archer, second of the three Knight Classes. Their mastery over their weapons is not to be underestimated and their senses are extremely sharp." The Archer was then placed aside for the final card, this one depicting a knight. "Finally is Servant Saber, the final of the three Knight Classes and hailed as perhaps the most powerful Servant. Their skill with the blade is a legend unto itself."

Jessica gulped softly as she eyed the cards. It was going to be her and Avenger against eight other people and their Servants who were in fact legendary figures straight out of history? That was about as heavy as it got even out of some kind of anime! Still, Avenger was a legendary person too and by his looks alone, he was an incredibly tough one. She could probably do worse for a Servant, but she would only be sure of that if she knew his true name.

"So…" she swallowed. "What are the rules?"

"Well, the first is one of the tools available to you," Ruler explained. She reached over and gently took Jessica's hand, revealing the markings which had appeared on her hand. "These are called Command Sigils. They represent three absolute orders that your Servant cannot disobey. If you use these to make a command of your Servant, he cannot refuse to do it. However, should you make such a command one of the markings will vanish. You only have three such commands so use them wisely since should all of them vanish, your Servant will no longer have an obligation to obey you and can abandon you for another or simply kill you should you have stepped on his pride too many times."

"EEP!" Jessica squeaked. She immediately made the vow to treat Avenger with the respect he deserved, being a legendary figure and to make sure she never used up the markings.

"Now, you asked about the rules, didn't you?" asked Ruler. Seeing Jessica nod timidly, she continued. "Okay. The first rule is that you cannot do anything which would reveal the existence of magic to the world at large. That means no telling your friends, family, or even strangers on the street. The only ones you could tell are your grandfather and cousin Maria since they already know magic exists. Rule two is that holy ground is off limits to all Masters who still have a Servant. If your Servant is defeated, I will ensure that you are protected so long as you remain on sanctified grounds. The only time that rule is void is if I have an announcement to make and I must have all the Masters there to hear it and even then fighting is prohibited. The third rule is that even when you are fighting, you must NOT allow it to get out of control or take it to places where are going to be no witnesses. We don't need people sticking their noses into this affair. If your grandfather found out about this, imagine his reaction?"

Jessica frowned, but admitted her grandfather was a pretty opportunistic guy. If he found out about this then he would do just about anything to get involved and then win it so he could have the wish. Heck, with how they mooned over the Witch's Epitaph and the fortune it could mean her parents, aunts, and uncles would be just as quick to try and steal a place.

"So, what happens if the rule is broken?" Jessica asked curiously.

"Well, for minor infractions I will simply remove one of your Command Sigils," Ruler replied. "If your infractions become too big though, I can stall the War and order the Masters to hunt you down in return for an extra Command Sigil to whoever can take you out." Seeing Jessica pale, Ruler chuckled. "Oh don't worry. Play by the rules and you'll never have to worry about me." Smiling, she stood up once again. "So Jessica Ushiromiya, would you like to compete it the Holy Grail War?"

Gulping again, Jessica nodded.

"Excellent," Ruler nodded. "The War is to take place in the area known as Hinamizawa. I suggest you go there quickly before the other Servants track you down here." Ruler then turned and walked towards the exit. "I'll leave you to get acquainted with Avenger. Ta-ta!" Heading towards the exit, Ruler faded away from sight as if she were a ghost.

"Wow…" Jessica gasped.

* * *

><p>Natsumi was in her room, in a meditative pose. She wasn't a mage or anything but she and Lancer had established a connection thanks to his knowledge about magecraft due to his connection to the Holy Grail. Since she couldn't leave her home to participate in the Holy Grail War in person, she might as well send Lancer and use their link to communicate. He could still fight without her by his side. It didn't hinder him. In fact, having her around during battles would leave her vulnerable while he was busy with other Servants. This way he could concentrate on fighting and not worry about her.<p>

"You're back," said Natsumi as she saw Lancer reappear, and clothe himself in civilian attire. Having him exposed with only a loincloth was very distracting. Nice eye candy, but distracting all the same. "I thought that you were going to go to Hinamizawa."

"_I was,_" Lancer replied. "_But then I ran into someone who needed to speak with you._"

"You did?" asked Natsumi. "Who?"

"Me."

Natsumi had to hold in a cry of shock as a beautiful woman appeared lounging on her futon, looking downright sensual as she giggled at Natsumi's reaction. Once Natsumi managed to catch her breathing under control Ruler continued, "Sorry to freak you out. I am Servant Ruler and I'm here to inform you about the rules about the Holy Grail War."

"Rules?" Natsumi blinked, instantly paying attention.

"Just three of them and they're easy to remember," Ruler nodded. "The first is that you can't reveal the existence to magic to anyone who doesn't already know about it. So no telling your family about what's been going on between you and Lancer. The second is that holy ground is off limits if you have a Servant or unless you have special permission. If your Servant is eliminated though, you can go there and be protected from any other Servants who want to take you out in case you try to contract one of the others. Lastly, no matter how wild the battles get, you absolutely must not allow anyone to learn about the Grail War. So keep the fighting in places where you're not likely to be noticed for a good long while. Failure to comply will result in the removal of Command Sigils and the worst offenders will find the other Masters all hunting them as a group. So keep your nose clean and we won't have any problems."

"Hai!" Natsumi nodded rapidly.

"Good!" Ruler smiled. "If you'll excuse me though, I have to get the other Masters up to speed." Waving, Ruler vanished once again into astralization where Natsumi couldn't see her.

"_Strange woman,_" Lancer remarked.

"Nice though," Natsumi commented.

* * *

><p>"Well, that's all of them, I guess," said Satoshi as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. The Darkling hunting had gone well and with Caster's enchantment of Satoshi and his bat, the Darklings proved to be no match for the new and improved Houjou boy.<p>

"Caster-san, Nii-nii, you both were amazing!" Satoko cheered. Now that Caster had stopped asking his annoying questions and was actually doing something to help her brother, the small girl was all for the Servant's presence in their lives. If he could make her brother into a superhero like Shinichi then that was just great!

"Why, thank you, child," smiled Caster.

"Hey, I did most of the work," Satoshi said indignantly.

"You wouldn't be able to accomplish it if it weren't for my talent," said Caster with a chuckle. However, his cheer was short-lived as his face suddenly turned grim as he opened his book again and grabbed his quill. "Master, a Servant is here, and it's a new one."

"Be calm, playwright," said Ruler as she appeared, marching out of the darkness of the forest. Seeing the beautiful woman made Satoshi blush and Satoko stare at her in awe. Her presence was commanding and her figure sensual. She appeared to be pure female sexuality given form, but with the imperial power of a woman on the throne. She appeared to be the kind of woman that every man wished to have and that ever woman wanted to be.

"Please, madam, state your name and business," Caster spoke, seemingly unaffected by her presence but showing a grim frown on his features.

"Oh, you know we Servants cannot reveal our true names," Ruler smiled, "But I can tell you my class. I am Servant Ruler, this Holy Grail War's moderator, and I am here to officially welcome both the Master Satoshi Houjou and his Servant Caster to the Holy Grail War."

"Wait…moderator?" Satoshi asked, overcoming his raw attraction to the woman to ask the question.

"The one who makes sure that the rules are followed," Ruler answered as she approached the trio. "I am just having all of the Masters check in and make sure that their Servants have been confirmed. I am also here to make sure that they know the rules of the War and will follow them lest there be…penalties."

Caster frowned, but didn't close his book. Satoshi blinked while scratching his head with Satoko hiding behind him as he responded, "Um…okay then. What are the rules?"

"Oh, just the basics since no doubt your Servant told you things about the other Classes and the Command Sigils," Ruler shrugged, coming to a stop. "I will just inform you of three cardinal rules that must be obeyed. Number one: You cannot reveal the existence of magic. Number two: Holy ground is off limits unless your Servant has been eliminated. The only time you are allowed there is if I have called you to it. Number three: Do not let any battle run out of control and risk the revelation of the War. Failure to comply with these rules will result in the removal of Command Sigils and repeat offensives will result in the other Masters being ordered to eliminate you."

"Eep!" Satoko squeaked, clutching her brother.

"Sounds…fair," Satoshi gulped.

"Indeed," Caster frowned.

"Good!" Ruler beamed. "Well I have other Masters to meet and rules to discuss," the Nubian woman smiled as she walked towards one of the dirt paths. "I'm sure we'll see each other again!" With a wave of her hand, she was gone. She had astralized just like all of the other Servants could.

"Well…she was nice," commented Satoshi with faux-calm. The woman had a very regal presence, like disobeying her equated to death and considering her status as the War's moderator that was true enough.

* * *

><p>Gebok was in his lab and showing Berserker several pictures he had put up on a whiteboard. They were pictures of his enemies, including his 'son', and he was telling her who her targets were going to be. The NEO-NUMBERS had gotten in his way far too many times and needed to be eliminated. Each picture of one of the rogue creations of GIN-SHOCKER had small notes of what they could do and where they could be found. The bridal beast was of course trying to pay attention but her fractured state of mind was making progress difficult.<p>

"And you are able to find Subject Zero at the Sonozaki estate as he has taken up employment as a bodyguard there," Gebok explained, pointing to the picture in question. "Now, I want to just demolish both the household and him. The brat he works for has caused me enough grief in the past!"

"Nnn," Berserker nodded.

"Oh I'm sorry, Dr. Gebok, but your plans for conquest will have to be put on hold."

Gebok blinked and looked away from the whiteboard, "What?-! Who's there?-!"

"Over here!" the voice spoke from a new direction.

Gebok turned to see who dared trespass on his base, but as he turned to see who had spoken he was suddenly bashed in the face by a golden staff which knocked him to the floor. He tried to get up but was pinned down by a woman's leg which was quite obviously connected to a woman who seemed of Egyptian descent, but Gebok's trained eyes noticed Greek features on her. She was frowning deeply and holding a staff styled after a snake with a blade on the top pointed at his throat.

"Berserker! Kill her!" Gebok choked, but to his surprise the redhead didn't move from her seat, although her pupils and shrank and turned bloodshot once again. She wanted to leap up and kill the woman who had Gebok pinned, but for some reason her body wasn't obeying him.

"BERSERKER!" he snarled.

"She won't attack. Servant Ruler is always off limits," the woman frowned. "In case you haven't figured it out, that's me."

"What do you want?" Gebok growled.

"I'm here to explain to you the rules of the Holy Grail War which you have become a part of," Ruler explained. "You honestly don't think Berserker showed up out of the blue for no reason do you? No, she's one of ten Servants who will take part in the war: Berserker, Ruler, Assassin, Rider, Avenger, Lancer, Caster, Saber, Archer, and Saver. You must defeat the other eight if you want to claim the prize at the end, one wish for anything you want bust you must also obey the rules."

"What…rules?" Gebok frowned.

"Don't reveal the existence of magic to the world, or I will remove one of the markings which keep Berserker under your control," Ruler explained. "Do not try to fight or even visit holy ground with a Servant or I will remove one of the markings. Finally, do not allow a battle to get out of control and risk exposure or I will remove one of the markings. All of the Servants hadn't been summoned when you tried that stunt of yours on Rider and her Master in the middle of the city. Only the fact that it was night and you left before any witnesses arrived keeps me from penalizing you. So remember, since keeping quiet about the war is a priority, you can't use Berserker as your weapon of mass destruction against your enemies. She can only fight other Servants." The female Servant pressed her foot harder into Gebok's chest. "Do you understand this, Master of Berserker?"

Gebok let out a growl, "Y-yes!"

"Good," Ruler frowned, stepping off of the scientist. "I'd wish you luck, but I don't like you so I won't. Now I have other business to get to." Walking back to the shadows of the lair, she vanished without a trace. When her presence was gone did Berserker finally find the ability to move again. she dashed to Gebok's side looking absently worried about him.

The mad doctor panted as he got his breath back, still feeling the cold pain against his neck. So that was the reason for it. He had been selected to take part in a supernatural war which pitted the Servants against one another. His 'son' had likewise been chosen to fight

"Game on then," he frowned.

* * *

><p>Rika, Shinichi, Hanyuu and the Servants returned to their home after the meeting. They felt they had made good progress in forging their alliance to deal with the other Servants and were looking forward to having a relaxing night to themselves. Well, relaxing so long as Kasai hadn't come over and decided to flirt with Shiori again or take her up to the bedroom. Being traumatized once had been bad enough for Shinichi and he didn't want that for his sisters.<p>

"After the stress of today, I could use something to eat," Shinichi sighed, stretching his neck muscles.

"We all could," Rika agreed. "Hopefully nothing else comes up tonight."

"I'm sure we can handle it if it did," Rider chuckled.

"Overconfidence can be your undoing, you know," Archer commented warningly.

"Haaau," Hanyuu yawned.

The group arrived at the Banabara house in good time and entered like they had a million times before. Upon entering through, they Shiori who was sitting on the sofa with a beautiful woman of Egyptian descent. She was dressed up like a princess out of an Egyptian film and if there was ever a definition of sexy, she was it. However none of them took the time to appreciate her beauty since the Command Sigils on Rika and Shinichi's hands flared up while their Servants went for their weapons.

"Peace, Archer and Rider," the woman spoke, looking up from her tea. "I am no opponent of yours in this Holy Grail War."

"Hm," Shiori blinked, turning to see her children and their Servants, "Oh, Shinji, Rika-chan, Hanyuu-chan!" She gestured to the beautiful woman she had been entertaining. "This is Servant Ruler. She says she's the moderator for the Holy Grail War and has come to make sure you all know the rules."

"I came here to see you all in order to introduce myself, and to clarify the rules as well as penalties for breaking them," said Ruler as she sipped her tea. "Since you had yet to arrive, I waited, and Mrs. Banabara was kind enough to invite me to sit down for a cup of tea."

"Well, you are a guest," said Shiori. "I would be rude not to offer."

Normally, non-magical folk like Shiori shouldn't be involved, but clearly the woman had experienced a lot within a short span of time in regards to the supernatural so there was no harm there. Ruler could also tell the girl with violet hair and horns was not human and possessed magical potential. The same with the other two, though not as potent.

"Well, I'll make this quick then," said Ruler. "The rules are pretty simple to follow so I won't have to repeat myself. You already know the basics, but there are some gaps in your knowledge. Instead of 7 Masters and Servants as you previously believed, there are actually 9 Masters and Servants in this Holy Grail War. I, Servant Ruler, am not one of the participants and simply the War's moderator."

"So, there are rules then," Shinichi frowned. It was called a war, but sounded like a tournament. However, killing didn't seem to be penalized since this was a life or death tournament.

"Correct," Ruler nodded, setting her tea down. Shinichi and his siblings took seats across from the older women while Rider and Archer took bodyguard spots behind their Masters. "The first rule is also an obvious one. You cannot under any circumstances reveal that magic exists to the world at large. Mrs. Banabara and your circle of friends are an exception since you've already had that particular secret revealed to you."

"More than once," Hanyuu nodded.

"The second rule is that holy ground is off limits to all Masters and Servants who are still active in the war," Ruler continued.

"That might be a problem for me," Rika raised her hand. "I have duties to perform at the Furude Shrine and if I don't do them the villagers might get suspicious as to what is going on."

"Hmm, then I suppose I can make an exception," Ruler nodded. "But Archer is not allowed to follow you. He can wait outside."

"Why is holy ground off limits?" asked Shinichi.

"Because should Servants be eliminated and their Masters in need of a safe place to stay, holy ground has traditionally been a place of safety and sanctuary," Ruler answered. Seeing Shinichi nod, she continued. "Now the final rule is that under no circumstances, no matter how hard the battles are, you cannot let things get out of control and risk exposing the truth about the War. If people find out, then they are going to try and get in on it for their own purposes.

"Right," Shinichi nodded. It was bad enough Gebok was involved. If any other lowlife figured it out then things would just get that much worse.

"Well, I'm glad to see you all managed to catch the rules so quickly," Ruler smiled. She drained her tea and stood up. "Well then, I suppose I'll be off to let the remaining Masters know of the stakes."

"Oh, wait!" Shiori spoke up. "If it's not too presumptuous, since you're not part of the War could I ask what your true name is?"

"Of course," Ruler smiled. She posed gracefully to all in the room to show off her poise, grace, and beauty. "I have been called the seducer of kings. I have been the lover of Caesar and Antony both. I am the true queen of Egypt. I am Cleopatra."

Both girls in the room blinked in surprise while Shinichi openly gaped. Both Rider and Archer were shocked by the casual revelation of her true name. Then again, she wasn't truly a combatant in the War so it was likely not going to do any harm to reveal her identity. Shiori on the other hand gasped and covered her mouth in shock as she stood up.

"EEEE! Really!" she gasped in pure awe and delight. She dashed up to Ruler, or rather Cleopatra, and grasped her hands. "Oh this is such an honor! I get to meet one of the two who were part of one of the greatest love stories of all time! Oh, I just have to get an autograph! Please?"

"Kaa-chan…" Shinichi groaned in embarrassment. She was excited over the fact that this was Cleopatra, summoned as a Servant to moderate the Holy Grail War, and was asking for an _autograph_? Then again, this was his mother, and she rarely did behave in any predictable manner. She did faint when she first witnessed his transformation but later ground him for it since he'd been hiding the truth from her. Granted, she knew and understood why he had to do it, but she was hurt since he hadn't trusted her enough to tell her.

"I don't see the harm," shrugged Ruler/Cleopatra as Shiori brought out an autograph book and pen.

"You know, she's really taking this very calmly," Rika said to Hanyuu.

"That's Shiori-mama for you," beamed Hanyuu. When she had revealed her true identity, Shiori had offered to write a book to tell the truth about 'Oyashiro-sama' but Hanyuu had declined, citing that the villagers needed to have a god to believe in, even if it was a malevolent one as they believed. She wouldn't be able to command such respect in her current form. Knowing Shiori, she might ask about the night she spent with her late husband all those centuries ago and Hanyuu really didn't want to go through such an embarrassing thing like that.

Cleopatra signed her name and like a fangirl Shiori hugged the autograph book to her chest.

"Ano, Cleopatra-sama," said Shinichi respectfully. "Can you tell us who Assassin and his Master are? He nearly got my friends involved because he assaulted me earlier."

"I'm sorry, but that information is held under the strictest confidences," Ruler sighed. "I cannot give you that information. I am the moderator to the war and thus I cannot show favoritism to any of the combatants even if I do or don't like them. Since your friends already know about magic, I cannot penalize Assassin for attacking you in daylight. Even if they didn't, the mist Assassin conjured kept any non-combatants out of the way. Unless Assassin breaks one of those rules, I cannot move against him or his Master."

"I see," Shinichi sighed. So much for that plan.

"Now, I must be off to brief Saber and Assassin's masters on the rules before I can rest," Ruler smiled as she headed for the door. "Maybe we'll see each other again."

"Come back soon," Shirori beamed. "I'd love to hear about your story." She then gasped as an idea hit her. "Oh! Would you like to pose for one of my books?"

"Kaa-chan," Shinichi groaned. He didn't think that an imperial queen would like to pose for a raunchy novel for someone she just-!

"Would like me nude or clothed?" Ruler smiled, looking over her shoulder.

GOOSH!

"Master!" Rider gasped as she watched Shinichi drop with an explosive nosebleed. Rather than be concerned, she started laughing. "Ah ha ha ha ha!"

"It's not that funny," Archer mumbled, but his face was beet red.

"Either pose is fine. Best have examples of both though," Shiori answered without missing a beat.

GOOSH! GOOSH!

Shinichi was down again with blood coming from both nostrils. Rider was on her knees she was laughing so hard.

"Sounds like fun," Ruler smiled. "I'll be back for that." She then walked towards the door again before vanishing into thin air, astralized like the other Servants could do.

"Ooooh! I got to meet one of the most beautiful women in history!" Shiori squealed like a teenage girl, hugging the autograph to her chest. "I can't wait to ask her about Julius and Antony!"

"Shiori-mama…" Rika sweatdropped.

* * *

><p>Ruler reappeared in front of the Sonozakis' mansion. Solid once again she strode towards the front door so she could step inside and brief Akane Sonozaki just what her roles and duties were concerning her Mastership in the Holy Grail War.<p>

"Stop…" a tiny voice whispered as she felt something touch the small of her back.

"Servant Assassin," Ruler sighed as she stood still. Around her the mist which was no doubt a result of a Noble Phantasm appeared. Likely the master of silent killing feared that Ruler had appeared for a fight. "You have nothing to fear from me, Assassin. I am Servant Ruler, the moderator of this Holy Grail War. I am only here to make sure your Master Akane Sonozaki knows of the rules."

"Tell me…" Assassins poke in nearly a whisper, but the tips of her knives dug in slightly deeper. "I will tell her."

"Very well," Ruler sighed. It was odd for such fierce protectiveness from a Servant, but Ruler had to respect the wishes of the combatants as long as it didn't give them an unfair advantage and was within the rules. "There are three rules which must be observed during the course of this Grail War. You cannot reveal the existence of magic to anyone. Holy ground is off limits. No Servant may step on it and the Masters likewise cannot unless their Servant has been eliminated or they have special permission. Lastly, the battles must not go out of control and risk revealing the Holy Grail War. Your Master is permitted to speak of this to her daughters since they are involved in magic, but not to her husband or her mother. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Assassin whispered.

"Good," Ruler nodded. "Then I will take my leave and let you report my message." Ruler than vanished into the night air in astralization, leaving the tiny Assassin by herself.

Assassin sheathed her daggers and allowed her magic to redress her in her sleeping yukata. She had felt Ruler approach the property and swiftly moved to stop her. Now Assassin knew the rules of the War and felt some measure of relief knowing that if her Mother was in public places, then she would be much safer than before. Secrecy was essential in the war and must be kept. If Mother was to remain happy though, she could not know about the War itself otherwise she would try to keep her out and thus risk herself. That could not happen.

Resolve set, Assassin headed back to her big sister's room so she could sleep. She didn't want her big sister to be lonely.

* * *

><p>Saber remained vigilant in spirit form as he stood guard in front of Rena's home. He then sensed it, the presence of a Servant. Most likely they had come to fight. He reached for his sword, gripping it tight, as the Servant manifested before him. Her beauty was indeed great, but for a man who had seen beauty of the queen of the fae, he was easily able to resist her charms.<p>

"Identify thyself!" demanded Saber.

"At ease, Servant Saber," said Ruler. "I am Servant Ruler."

"Ruler? There is no such Servant in the Holy Grail War," Saber shot back.

"It would be wise for you and your Master to listen to what I have to say, and I am a noncombatant. A knight like yourself would not taint your honor by striking down a noncombatant, would you?"

Saber grimaced and eased the grip on his sword's hilt. "Come inside, then," Saber invited. "My Master is inside."

Rena was up in her room knitting a scarf, a long one, that she and Shinichi could share once the weather became colder. It would be so romantic. She let out a sigh as she imagined herself and Shinichi, in their winter coats, sharing a scarf and umbrella. They would then stop in front of his or her home and kiss.

"Hau…Hau…" Rena uttered, wiggling back and forth as she blushed. She loved her boyfriend so much that she'd do anything for him to make him happy. After all, he deserved it after all he went through. She was sure that it was Oyashiro-sama's will that Shinichi ended up in Hinamizawa where she would find him. He had suffered so much and Rena knew that she didn't want anyone to suffer through pain like she had with her mother's betrayal. Shinichi had been hurt so bad THAT he forced himself to forget it all and ended up right in Rena's lap where he could get all the love and affection he needed to get better.

"So romantic," Rena cooed. Oooh, she wanted to bring Shin-kun to her house where they could make love!

"Oh, how cute." A new voice spoke up.

Rena blinked and looked up from her knitting to see Saber entering the room with a woman who was dressed up like a foreign princess. Rena immediately felt insecure and secretly hoped that Shinichi never set eyes on the woman for fear of him forgetting about his girlfriend. "Saber-san, who is this?" she asked.

"She claims that she is Servant Ruler, the moderator for the Grail War," the knight of the sword answered. "As to why she is here, I do not know."

"I am here to explain to you, Rena Ryuugu, the rules of the Holy Grail War," Ruler explained stepping past Saber. "I am a noncombatant in the war and am bound by its magic to not fight anyone who is following the rules. So long as those laws are obeyed, you have nothing to fear from me."

"So…what are the rules?" asked Rena, setting her knitting down.

"Just three of them," Ruler replied. "The first is that you cannot reveal the existence of magic to anyone who doesn't already know about it like your group of friends. The second is that holy ground like your friend's shrine is officially off limits now. The only way you can step onto that soil is if your Servant has been eliminated or you have been given special permission to be there. Finally, you can't reveal the existence of the Grail War to anyone so when you fight, try to keep it someplace out of the way or low key so no one notices until after it's over. Failure to comply to these rules means I will remove a Command Sigil as a penalty. If you break the rules badly enough, I can halt the war and send the other Masters after you in return for more Command Sigils. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am!" Rena nodded quickly.

"Good," Ruler nodded. "Then there's only one more Servant left to contact and then I can call it a night. I've got a modeling gig to confirm after all." Waving to Rena, Ruler vanished into astralization to find the last of the Servants, leaving Rena working to memorize what she had been told.

* * *

><p>Saver remained vigilant as she sat at her master's bedside. She watched as the girl slumbered, forced into a state due a disease that robbed her of rhyme and reason. Such a cruel fate for one so young and Saver felt she needed to save the girl. Winning the Holy Grail War was the only way. Instantly, her senses alerted Saver of another presence. Quickly claiming her weapon, a black lacquered bow, she stood up and prepared to defend her Master. Drawing an arrow, she drew it back and aimed it at the doorway of the room.<p>

"At ease, Servant Saver," Ruler announced as she appeared in the doorway. "I am Servant Ruler. I am only here to explain the rules to you and your Master…although it seems only one of you will be able to hear it."

"If that was a joke, it was in poor taste," Saver frowned. "Say your piece and then leave. Although my Master is in a coma, I wish her sleep and dreams to be peaceful."

"Very well," Ruler nodded. "There are three rules which need to be followed lest I remove a Command Sigil from the offending Masters. The first is that the existence of magic must be kept a most guarded secret. The second is that holy ground is off limits to all masters lest their Servants have been eliminated or they have special permission. Lastly, the war itself must be kept secret so keep your battles outside of the public eye and in places where witnesses are unlikely to be."

"I understand," Saver nodded. "Now please leave so my Master can get her rest."

Nodding, Ruler vanished into immaterial again. Seeing the room was empty of undesirables, Saver dismissed her weapon and sat back down in her chair. She immediately set back out holding the girls hand and stroking her hair.

'_Mother Bear would always tend to my hair when I was in distress,_' Saver thought to herself as she caressed her Master's raven hair. '_I can only pray that doing the same will offer you pleasant dreams away from this unnatural parasite._'

* * *

><p>Ruler reappeared in the Meta-World, facing her Master who smiled in satisfaction. "I take it that all the participants have been informed of the rules."<p>

"Yes, they have, Master," Ruler reported. "The 9 Servants and 9 Masters now know the rules, as well as the penalties for violating them. Have I done well?"

"Very well, my dear Ruler," said Topper. He faced the stained glass windows which depicted the Servant-Master pairs in this game he had started. "And now, without further ado, let the games begin!"

"Yay!" Lamdadelta cheered. "War! Destruction! Chaos! I love it! This is going to be fun!"

"I admit it. Things are getting interesting," Bernkastel admitted.

"I must say, I never pegged little Jessica as having the guts to actual steal one of her grandfather's books," Beatrice giggled as she considered what she had seen. "I dare say I'm proud of her for breaking out of the mold that the old man tried to make for his entire family."

"Hm, so inspiring to see the lengths people will go for the sake of love," Virgilia smiled. "Although, I certainly hope it is our Servant who will win in the end. That dreadful disease has been in Hinamizawa for much too long and I would certainly like to see it vanish."

"Why?" asked Lambdadelta. "It's the only thing that makes the place interesting!"

"And the Riders, Darklings, and Darkloids aren't enough?" asked Bernkastel.

"At first, but now they're boring!" the child-like witch huffed.

"I think they're fun," Beatrice smiled, taking a puff from her pipe. "A nice amount of chaos between them all makes for an interesting day."

"Oh they always make things interesting," Topper smiled as he approached the table. The game board had quickly changed into a chessboard with several pieces on its surface. Ten of the pieces were shaped like the beings on the cards which Ruler had shown to Jessica while the other ten looked like motifs of their Masters. Archer, Rider, and Saber's pieces were placed in a triangular pattern around the images of Shinichi, Rika, and Rena. Assassin's piece was facing the rest of the pieces alone, but Akane's piece had its back turned as if it had no clue as to what was happening. Caster's piece was near the triangle of three Servants, but it was blocking off the Satoshi Piece from seeing them. The Berserker piece looked like it was following the Gebok piece like a puppy in a circle around the board. The Avenger piece was at the far corner of the board while the Jessica piece remained next to it. Saver's piece had its own isolated spot with the child's representation lying on its back sideways, effectively unable to move. Lancer's piece was on one side of the board while Natsumi's was on the other, separated. Finally, pieces representing Topper and Ruler were in the position That the black king and queen would have on a regular chessboard.

"Then the game is set," Virgilia smiled as she eyed all of the pieces. "So who shall have the first move?"

"Me! Me! Me! Me!" Lambdadelta cried, waving her arm.

"I wouldn't mind," Beatrice offered, hoping for favoritism from her old teacher.

"I think someone who doesn't have a personal stake in this should start it off," Bernkastel spoke up, looking at Beatrice. "Is your husband Battler nearby? He's skilled enough in games to be able to make a good move or two."

"Hmmm," Beatrice smiled, although she tried not to show it. Just mentioning Battler, the most challenging foe she had in centuries, who managed to win against her but also win her heart and marry her would make the witch turn to goo whenever she heard his name. "He likely is." Looking to the darkness, she cooed, "Oh Battler!"

The Endless Sorcerer Battler appeared as he was called by his wife. He wore a white business suit over a red shirt with a black tie. Hanging from his shoulders was a black cape with an upturned collar that had gold lining and trim, the right side sporting the one-winged bird crest of his family. A scabbard hung from a belt around his waist, containing the sword known as the Golden Truth.

His and Beatrice's courtship had begun as a game of life and death. He rejected the existence of witches, prompting Beatrice to appear before Battler and set up a cruel game of fate in which he would witness the deaths of the members of his family as foretold by the Epitaph. He would rationalize their murders through logic while Beatrice would set up different scenarios to prove that magic was the culprit. It came to a climax where Battler killed Beatrice in their 4th game but afterwards he missed her. Despite the deaths that had occurred he actually enjoyed Beatrice's company. Despite her cruelty towards him in their first games, he found her beautiful, intelligent, brutally honest, entertaining when she wasn't killing off his family, and intellectually stimulating. In short, everything he would have liked in a woman but couldn't get since his family insisted on recommending spoiled rich girls to date. So, becoming the Endless Sorcerer, he fought to revive her, to bring her back. At first she had amnesia but then as Battler continued to fight, Beatrice's memories were regained and they were wedded.

"You called?" he asked as he took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Yes I did, Anata," Beatrice smiled as she and her husband held hands. Bernkastel looked on in envy at the sight while Lambdadelta gagged and muttered about cooties. Vergilia smiled in pride at her student and the man who managed to cut through her cruelty. "You see we're playing a new game and we need help starting it off. Bernkastel feels that since all of us have a personal stake in this, it wouldn't be fair for us to try and start it since we'd just try to make it in our pieces' advantage."

"And since I don't know which piece belongs to who or what the goal is, if I start the game off then all is fair," Battler finished. "I don't see a problem with that."

Rather than pull up a chair of his own, Battler gently pulled Beatrice out of hers before taking her place and pulling her back down into his lap with only a gasp from the woman. She giggled, but made the motions of a damsel in distress, "Oh you brute! Treating your delicate wife in such a way! Oh woe is me!"

"What can I say? You bring out the beast in me," Battler chuckled before kissing his wife's neck, making Beatrice gasp in pleasure.

"Okay! We get it! You two are in love! Just make the move already!" Lambdadelta grumbled.

"Such a little girl," Beatrice sighed, making Lambdadelta growl.

"Best make that move before we go any further," Battler smiled. Looking to the board, he saw all of the pieces in place and all of which looked different with no indication as to what side they were on or who owned what piece besides Topper and Battler never really trusted that guy to begin with. So that left the other pieces and which one he would pick to move it. As a good husband, he would have picked the piece which belonged to his wife but since he didn't know which one that was, he was going to have to wing it.

"Let's move this one and see what happens," the Endless Sorcerer shrugged as he reached for one of the pieces.

* * *

><p><strong>KAMEN RIDER CHROME: Paladin and I started on this idea. FateEternal Tears is simply a version of the Holy Grail War that happens in Showa no Sekai, the world where the story of Kamen Rider Showa is set. Furthermore, we see some additions like Avenger and Saver appear and participating in the game. Jessica, in fact, is the only one who summoned a Servant on purpose and actual conducting the ritual while the rest had been chosen and had their Servants manifest due to the will of the Infinity Fragment, the Holy Grail in this game. Now, time to see what will happen next.**

**Ten-Faced Paladin: Well, another idea between the two of us is taking off. Those of you who follow the power of the true Holy Grail may not like how this war is shaping up, but remember that this isn't a Holy Grail War as Type Moon would make it. This is an imitation War made by the Infinity Fragment which has been influenced by other factors than just the Type Moon universe and its factors. **


	4. Chapter III

**FATE/ETERNAL TEARS**

**Chapter III: Another Night of Battle**

Mion sneezed as she woke up. The weather was already cold outside, signifying that it was close to winter. Autumn was cold, but winter was freezing. She then realized she had a weight over her body and tossed off her blanket to see Jackie clinging to her for warmth. Smiling, Mion stroked the girl's cheek.

Here was a little girl, with no known family, whom her mother had found and taken in out of the kindness of her heart. It was acts like those that proved that the Sonozaki Clan wasn't full of heartless people. It was just the card they were dealt. They needed to look strong. While Chief Kimiyoshi was the 'official' head of the village, he was only a figurehead. The true power was in the hands of the Sonozaki Clan, in her grandmother more specifically, and Mion would soon take her place once she passed on.

Until then, she would enjoy her youth as best she could with her friends.

"Jackie-chan, wake up," said Mion as she gently pinched Jackie's cheek. The little girl slowly opened her eyes and yawned before snuggling close to her big sister's warmth.

It was Monday, and today Jackie would officially be starting school with them.

* * *

><p>For school, Jackie would wear a white blouse with a red neck tie and a black skirt that reached down to her knees. She also wore a purple sweater vest over the blouse to keep her warm and finally she wore white socks. She was given one of Mion's old school bags and blank notebooks along with a pencil box. Finally, she was given a bento lunch box.<p>

"Have a good day at school, and make some new friends, Jackie-chan," said Akane as she patted Jackie on the head. That motherly gesture made Jackie smile slightly before taking Mion's hand as they walked to school together.

Waving her two children off, Akane spotted the markings on the back of her hand. She wasn't sure where they had come from or what they were for, but she didn't want to alarm her family as to their existence. Her mother was liable to do anything since she was both a practical and religious woman. Her husband would wish a doctor to take a look at it, but somehow she doubted that it would be something Dr. Irie could explain. Her children would just worry and she didn't want them to have to go through that.

She just wished she knew what they were.

* * *

><p>Jessica left the island of Rokkejima like she always did when she had to go to school. Avenger was silent as he was astralized next to her as they waited on the ferry. After Ruler left last night, Jessica and her Servant discussed how they were going to get to Hinamizawa in order for her to compete in the Holy Grail War. The simplest way was for her to slip off that way when she should normally be in school. Sure, she should have stayed in school but she was dealing with a situation that was not normal. School could wait! She was fighting for the chance to be with the boy she loved!<p>

She knew that she couldn't put the trip off. It was only a matter of time before her grandfather noticed that his book was missing and Jessica hadn't had the chance to put it back, She had decided to keep it handy on herself so that any other spells would be needed like small familiars or something. She also couldn't tell anyone in her family or else they'd try to stop her and since she now knew magic was without a doubt real, her grandfather would likely try to usurp her position as Master of Avenger.

Now that she thought about it, her cousin Battler would likely have to believe that magic existed now that she had actual proof next to her.

* * *

><p>Jackie felt self conscious as she stood in front of the class. Since it was her first day she was supposed to introduce herself. The cover story was that she was a relative that was staying with Mion at her house. She did look foreign though. Her foreign features were unmistakable. She recognized the members of the Hinamizawa Club among the students, her eyes focused on Shinichi for a few more seconds, before she focused on the rest of the class. She would have to remember all of them to know which would be targets and which ones would be bystanders she could ignore.<p>

"I'm…Jackie," she uttered slowly. "Nice to meet you."

She gave a bow after her greeting. The boys who were close to her age thought she was cute, like Hanyuu was when she first came to their school. Mion smiled proudly, just knowing that little Jackie would be a popular girl once she came out of her shell.

Jackie took an empty seat next to Mion. She really didn't want to be far from her big sister.

After homeroom, Chie-sensei gave her students a few minutes to get to know their new classmate.

"Where are you from?" asked one boy.

"…far away," Jackie answered softly.

"Are you friends with Mion-sempai and Shion-sempai?" asked a girl.

"They are my big sisters," was the pale girl's reply.

"Hau…hau…hau…" Rena murmured as she sat at her desk, wiggling in her seat. "She's so cute and shy. Omochikaeri..."

"Control, Rena-chan, control," Shinichi chuckled as he tried to calm his girlfriend down.

"But she's so cute!" Rena insisted.

The questions continued until Chie-sensei ended the session and began her lesson. Everyone went to their work, grumbling a little as they went at it since some didn't want to do schoolwork. Mion would glance over at Jackie to make sure that she wasn't struggling but was surprised to see the silver-haired girl writing down notes from the text book without trouble and not sparing any detail. It seemed that the small girl was in fact a very bright student.

Mion and Shion's mother would be pleased to hear that.

But it was a bit odd as well. Did she have an education before?

For Chie-sensei, being the only teacher in Hinamizawa and teaching kids of all grade levels simultaneously was a challenge. Fortunately, she gave the younger ones enough attention and the older teenage students could help with the younger students as well. She also had to teach all the subjects for their curriculum, which was a challenge as well, but she was happy to mold young minds such as them.

She went from student to student, checking their work. She would help them in the areas they had difficulties with but as she came to Jackie's desk, she saw that she didn't have any trouble with mathematics.

* * *

><p>It was lunchtime and Jackie sat with the rest of the Gaming Club. The desks were all pulled together as a makeshift dining table for the group as they discussed mundane things, joke about things, and pretty much act like kids. She watched as two of the Masters, Rena and Shinichi, fed each other lunch. This got them some teasing from their friends who called them 'newlyweds'.<p>

Rena had actually attempted to kidnap Jackie once but a deep and passionate kiss from Shinichi calmed her down with bliss. There was some whooping from the younger boys who witnessed this.

As if Jackie would allow herself to be kidnapped.

"So, Christmas is coming up soon," Rena spoke up. It was less than a week to Christmas and the weather was getting colder, marking the coming of winter. "We should have a party."

"Kaa-chan already has plans for a party," said Shinichi. "She wanted me to invite you all over."

"I wonder what kind of party she'll throw," said Shion. "Any ideas?"

"Knowing her, she'll go all out," said Shinichi. "She can afford it, remember?"

"Christmas?" Jackie asked. She remembered Christmas in her old time. She remembered watching families spend Christmas together and even spied through windows to see them enjoy Christmas dinner with delicious turkey. Also, the beautifully decorated trees and the presents were so fun to look at.

She never had a happy Christmas before.

She never had a Christmas, period.

"That sounds like fun," Shion smiled before she turned to Jackie, "Ne, Jackie-chan?"

"Mn," Jackie nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>Okinomiya<strong>

Lancer stood on top of one of the buildings inside the town of Okinomiya. It had taken him a while to reach the small town, but he did it. Hinamizawa was only a short ride away and there the other contestants in the Holy Grail War would be waiting for their chance to fight.

"Can you hear me, Master?" asked Lancer. "Can you still see what I see?"

"_Yes Lancer,_" Natsumi's voice echoed in his ears. "_You're in Okinomiya, right? Okay, not many people have cars out in Hinamizawa except for the Sonozaki family so you're going to have to walk there unless you can make a bike appear out of nowhere._"

Lancer snickered, "I am not afraid of a little hiking, Master."

"_Good,_" Natsumi's voice rang in approval. "_Just be careful. There are all sorts of weird stuff going on out there so make sure you stay safe._"

"I will, Master," Lancer nodded.

"_Good,_" Natsumi replied, but then she gasped. "_Oh shoot! Class is starting again! Lancer, keep an eye out for anything weird and let me know if anything happens!_"

"Yes Master," Lancer nodded again. Honestly, she was like a mother hen sometimes.

* * *

><p>Rider was hanging out at the Banabara residence and reading a book. It was one of Shiori's and the redhead was rather taken in by the story. It was quite the page turner and she just couldn't help but flip the page to find out what would happen next. Shiori, as a writer, worked from home and right now the woman was thinking up ideas after the meeting with Ruler.<p>

Archer was busy making himself useful as he cleaned the house up a little. For a heroic spirit, he was certainly humble and didn't mind lending a hand at all even though the only thing he took up was space since he didn't need food or water to survive. That little expense didn't even matter since he could astralize himself whenever he wanted or on Rika's command.

"I wish she would appear again so I could talk with her," said Shiori. She'd been cooing over her autograph of the actual Cleopatra since the previous night and had been hoping she'd come back and take her up on the modeling offer.

"I doubt it," said Rider, her eyes widening as she finally reached one of the raunchy bits of Shiori's story. "She'll be too busy moderating the War."

Shiori pouted, upset. She then looked to Rider with a grin. The red-haired Servant cocked an eyebrow. "What?" she asked.

"Rider-san, how would you like to be my muse?" Shiori asked.

"How would I be that?" asked Rider.

"Well, back before I moved to Hinamizawa I would actually hire models to sketch in poses or with props which would be found in my latest stories," Shiori explained. "I'd use them for inspiration and also to design the covers of my books. The readers love it."

"Considering the material, I'd bet," Rider snickered as she glanced over at Shiori.

"Yes, but lately I haven't had the chance to hire another model or ask someone to help me," Shiori continued. "I've been so busy with the girls, Shinji, my new manuscripts, and all of the strange things which happen around here I just didn't seem to get around to it." She giggled slightly. "With you and Cleopatra-sama around though, I just can't afford to miss the opportunity."

"Hm. I've never had a true portrait done before," Rider shrugged, but then she grinned saucily. "Although, what kind of poses are we talking about here? Would you prefer me as I am, or would you prefer it if I had something a little more brief on? Like say, my birthday suit?"

"A little of both would go a long way so prepare to sit still for a long time," Shiori replied, beginning to look eager. "So what do you say Rider-san, interested?"

"Hell yes!" Rider laughed, snapping her book shut. "Let's do this!"

* * *

><p>Shinichi, while in class, expressed a shudder.<p>

"What's wrong?" Rena asked.

"I have a feeling that I shouldn't go home until a little later," said Shinichi.

"And why's that?" Rena asked.

Shinichi whispered, "Rider and Kaa-chan have gotten really chummy. I'm afraid if I go home now, I'm going to see them both drunk. It ain't pretty."

"Is it that bad?" Rena asked.

"You've never seen her drunk, and I hope you never will."

* * *

><p>Michiru hummed happily as she went to check on the patient staying in the clinic when she came across the ward which held the comatose patients. Since there wasn't much space upstairs, the Hinamizawa Syndrome ward was built down in the basement which the NEO-NUMBERS commonly used as their home base. She really did hope that Dr. Irie could discover a permanent cure to the Hinamizawa Syndrome. One solution was eliminating the cause, which were the demonic Darklings and Darkloids. The Riders were doing their part with that. Still, with so many Darklings and Darkloids, it was hard to destroy the ones who were responsible for the people in the coma ward.<p>

Sighing, she prepared herself from the sight of the unfortunate people and entered the ward in order to check their vitals for Dr. Irie who was busy with other patients. Stepping through, she started with the people nearest to her and began checking off their names on the list and marking their vitals as well. Progressing down the line, she reached one of the patients who was a new arrival and unfortunately was just a child. It always broke her heart to see children in this place. What was surprising though was the woman who was sitting next to her, stroking her hair.

'_She's so pretty,_' Michiru couldn't help but think to herself as she gazed at the woman. Michiru approached the woman. "Um, excuse me, but who are you?" She hadn't seen this woman come into the clinic to schedule a visit. Usually there was a procedure where visitors who needed to come to the HS-Ward needed to sign their names down in a record book. It was to keep track of visitors and to record their activity. A beautiful woman like this couldn't have come in unnoticed. The basement level was normally restricted.

Dr. Irie had mentioned a woman matching the description of the unknown visitor being present the night before. The woman looked towards Michiru and suddenly the modified human felt a weird pressure fall down on her shoulders as the woman examined her. She felt like she was before some kind of authority and being judged as worthy or unworthy.

"You are one of the assistants here?" asked the woman.

"Y-yes," Michiru nodded. "I just need to know who you are. People who are visiting here are restricted to family and have to sign in."

"I am called Saver," the woman replied, looking back to the girl on the bed. "I am of some relation to this child. I came to visit her. I was not aware I had to sign anything."

"O-ok," Michiru nodded, searching through her pockets for some paper and a pen. Finding some under her forms on the clipboard for just such an occasion, she pulled out her pen. "Could you at least put your name on this paper so I can sign you in when I head back up?"

"Very well," Saver sighed. Accepting the pen and the paper, she quickly wrote her name on the piece before returning it to Michiru and resuming her task of holding the child's hand.

Michiru took the paper and glanced down at it, seeing that Saver had begun to write something, but then crossed it out for her own name.

Saver

* * *

><p>Shiori's sketch studio was in fact in the basement of her house. It was a sizable place with numerous props, knick knacks, movable lights, tables, and even a bed for subjects to lay down on with interchangeable headboards to suit various time periods.<p>

Rider was in her battle clothes but left her coat unbuttoned, posing with her two pistols and her foot on a barrel prop as Shiori sketched her. The redhead definitely radiated with raw sexuality which Shiori could sense and appreciate. Since Rider was of course topless beneath her jacket, it allowed the entire length of her cleavage to be revealed with only just concealing the rest of her breasts.

"I think I pull off the sexy badass look rather well, don't you?" Rider grinned.

"Definitely!" Shiori agreed. "Hold still, I want to get your scar just right."

"Ugh, do you really need it too?" asked the redhead, for once showing some discomfort. "It's just a bad reminder for me."

"No no!" Shiori insisted. "I think it accents you perfectly! You're gorgeous even with it and just by having it you show that you're a woman who is never to be messed with be it in the battlefield or in the bedroom. You're like the spitting image of the privateer woman I'm writing up for my latest story."

"Oh?" Rider smiled, for once genuine and not in a teasing or seductive way. No one had ever complimented her on her scar before. "Do tell."

"She's a privateer hired by the king of a European country to raid the ships of their enemies," Shiori explained, peering closer at the shadows which were cast by Rider when the lights hit her. "She's hiding the fact that she's a woman from the world save for her crew which are all in fact knowing of her secret and they are all there to serve her carnal desires as she leads them to high adventure and victory."

"Hm," Rider giggled, her eyes sparkling knowingly. "Sounds like a good story."

"Oh I hope so," Shiori smiled, finishing the picture with the shading of Rider's cleavage. "Okay Rider-san, if you're not too stiff yet let's get the bed set up and we can get to work on the next pose. You're still not opposed to nude images, are you?"

"I grew up with sailors who would curse and swear, brag about women they've bagged, drink like it was the end of the world, and strut my stuff for more than a few times to earn some coin so I could buy my first boat. Shiori, I am no prude," Rider laughed as she removed her coat and bared her chest, supported by the leather holsters she wore like a kind of battle bra. "This afternoon has already been more fun than I could have hoped."

"Oh good!" Shiori giggled, setting her drawing things down. "We can swap stories while we work then!"

Setting up the scenery for the next pose, Shiori and Rider bonded as only two perverted women could over tales of their bedroom adventures.

It was a miracle Shinichi hadn't suffered from permanent nosebleeds by now.

* * *

><p>"So, what's the game for today?" Shinichi asked. It was the end of the school day and only the Hinamizawa Gaming Club remained for their usual club activities.<p>

"Well, I was thinking we could play 'Darumasan ga Koronda' (the Daruma doll fell down)," Mion said. Darumasan ga Koronda was a game similar to 'Red Light, Green Light'. One person is chosen to be 'It', or the Oni' and would chant 'Darumasan ga Koronda' as the other players move to touch the 'Oni' who is facing away from them. When the 'Oni' finishes his/her chant and turns around, the other players must freeze and stop moving. Anyone spotted moving by the 'Oni' will be taken 'prisoner' when their name is called. The winner of the game would be the one who was able to touch the 'Oni'.

"You know, I bet there's gonna be a twist," said Shinichi.

"You got that right," said Mion as she took an Oni mask out of her bag. "So, now we decide who should be the 'Oni'."

"Not it!" everyone but Keiichi and Jackie said.

"Kei-chan's the Oni!" declared Mion.

"Damn it!" Keiichi cursed.

"You snooze, you lose," teased Shinichi.

"But what about Jackie-chan?" Keiichi asked. "She didn't say anything."

"She's new, so she's exempt from the rule," said Mion. "Also, I'm Club President so my word is ABSOLUTE!"

"We really should write an official rulebook for the club," Keiichi mumbled.

"Come on, let's go outside," Mion ordered. "Gaming Club, assemble!"

"What are we, a sentai team?" asked Satoshi, making Shion giggle.

"Just do it!" the club leader grumbled.

* * *

><p>Gebok continued his studies into Berserker's physiology as he couldn't quite use her to go destroy the former NUMBERS like he originally planned. Of course, if what he was told by that Ruler woman was true then he was in luck. He had somehow been chosen to take part in a tournament which would have a no doubt powerful prize at the end of it. It also answered his questions as to how Berserker had managed to get into his lab. She had apparently been summoned by magic and used the energy which would normally power his enhancements to keep herself going. Personally he didn't like magic all that much when science was so much more reliable, but his little Berserker seemed to be a splendid fusion of the two! Gebok now understood that Berserker was capable of converting electricity into magical energy which she used to heal herself after their last fight with BLACK 13 and Rider. She could also convert magical energy into electricity to fuel her attacks. So long as she had an electric power source, she could go on forever in theory.<p>

Still, it didn't answer the question of who had built her and where she came from. A cybernetic work of art like Berserker didn't just build themselves.

"I have answered some questions but only received so many more," Gebok sighed as he looked at the readouts of his machines. "Oh what a wondrous little puzzle you are my little Berserker."

* * *

><p>A starting line was drawn on the ground as Keiichi faced away from his friends while wearing the Oni mask. He chanted, "Da…ru…ma…san ga Ko…ronda!" He spun around and saw his friends had started approaching when he began to chant. They were all frozen in mid-walk, shakily, but otherwise not moving. Jackie seemed to be the only one standing straight despite having moved from behind the starting line. He looked away and chanted again.<p>

Keiichi alternated the speed of his chant, sometimes slow, and sometimes too fast. He managed to catch Satoshi, Shion, Mion, Rika, Rena and Satoko moving and had taken them prisoner. He basically had them knelt down under the tree as he thought about the delicious payback he would reap on them for the embarrassing punishment games since he first joined the club. He was going to have them wear swimsuits and aprons, and serve him as maids for an entire week, making them do 'this' and 'that'! The thought made him drool.

Only Shinichi, Jackie and Hanyuu still remained in the game and they were getting close to touching Keiichi. Jackie was the closest, while Shinichi was a foot behind her. Hanyuu was far behind the two, not wanting to be captured and only taking cautious steps each time. They were still too far to touch him, though.

Keiichi smirked and looked away as he chanted, "Daruma…san ga…" He was unable to finish as he felt a hand on the small of his back. "Koronda?" He turned around and saw that it was Jackie who'd touched him.

"Jackie-chan won!" Rena cheered.

Jackie couldn't really explain the feeling she had. She had just won a silly little game but everyone was cheering for her as Keiichi wailed in mortification, "SO CLOSE! SO CLOSE!" For some reason, she felt good about having them all cheering for her. It made her feel…accepted.

"Congratulations, Jackie-chan," said Mion.

"Hey, we don't need to do a penalty game, right?" asked Keiichi. "I already have to be your personal lapdog for a week."

"I guess Jackie-chan should decide what your punishment for losing will be," said Shion. "After all, you deserve it."

"I just wanted to lift the last penalty off me!" Keiichi cried.

"She's fast for such a little girl," Shinichi commented. "She's probably going to be the Hinamizawa track star once she gets older."

"Hm, I think I like the sound of that. It'll show everyone how awesome Jackie-chan is!" Shion grinned. Turning to the victorious girl, she kept grinning, "Okay Jackie-chan, what is Keiichi going to do for his penalty game?"

Jackie blinked and considered what she could request. Her big sister had explained that penalty games were what happened to people who lost games in the club and would have to do something embarrassing or listen to the orders of the one who beat them. At first Jackie thought she could use it to her advantage in the Grail War, but her sisters wouldn't like her using their friends to her advantage. So she'd have to decide on something her sisters would find funny.

"…wear a dress," she spoke softly. "The kind that Shion-neechan wears to work."

"WHAT?-!" Keiichi cried out.

"Ah ha ha ha!" Good one Jackie-chan!" Mion laughed.

"Oh man, I am never going to let you live this down!" Shinichi laughed.

"Oooh, I bet you'll look cute!" Rena giggled.

"We have some spares in the back room," Shion giggled. "I can see if you can borrow one for the day."

"Right ahead of you," said Mion. "I kept a spare uniform in my locker. We can have Kei-chan put it on!"

Keiichi didn't think it could get any worse.

"And I'll make sure to take plenty of pictures," said Shinichi.

It did get worse.

Shinichi took a picture to commemorate Jackie's victory. He had Keiichi kneel down with Jackie standing with her hand on his shoulder and the Oni mask in her hand. Shinichi would need to include a caption for the picture. 'Jackie-chan the Oni Slayer' had a nice ring to it. Then Keiichi had to wear the uniform. They all enjoyed a good laugh and even Jackie-chan giggled at how ridiculous Keiichi looked dressed in the skimpy uniform. Shinichi made good on his promise and took pictures of Keiichi. Fortunately, Keiichi did not have to wear it home. Jackie wasn't that sadistic…

…Oh, if only they knew.

* * *

><p>Jackie walked home with Mion, holding the older girl's hand with a genuine smile on her face. To have friends, family, and to be accepted without question was a dream come true. She hoped it last forever. However, Jackie knew that all things, good or bad, must come to an end. She could not forget her purpose. Even if Shinichi and Rena were friends they were still enemies and enemies needed to be eliminated.<p>

Still, if she won the War then she would get to stay with her new family and live the happy life she always wanted. That was what kept her fighting.

It was all she had.

* * *

><p>Shinichi, Rika, and Hanyuu returned home but made sure to tread carefully. Shinichi hadn't forgotten about the shiver of terror he felt during the day and he didn't want to walk in on his mother and Rider being drunk and doing something crazy like fighting over who had the biggest boobs or something. Shiori got immature sometimes when she was drunk and he didn't even want to consider what Rider would do if she was intoxicated. It wasn't until Archer spotted the trio creeping into the house did he report that the pair were in the basement.<p>

"The basement?" asked Shinichi. "Why?"

"Oh, Shiori-san said she keeps a studio down there where she sketches models for her books," Archer replied. "She asked Rider to model for her and they've been there all afternoon. I heard laughing so I assume that they're having fun."

"Did they bring any sake with them?" asked Rika, knowing what happened when Shiori got drunk.

"Not to my knowledge," Archer replied.

"Well, at least they're both happy!" offered Hanyuu with a smile.

"Too happy," Shinichi sighed. He could guess what kind of sketches were being done. He had to admit though that he was looking forward to seeing how the pictures turned out though. Rider was hot, he couldn't deny that by any means. He was tempted to see what kind of sketches of her his mother managed to do, but he also feared what Rena would do if she found him looking through the sketches. Most of the outcomes would involve violence since she already didn't like Rider. Then again, they were just pictures…

"Oh my goodness! You didn't! Right there in the middle of a battle?"

"Aye. You'd be surprised how a pair of breasts can distract a man even in the heat of battle."

The sounds of Shiori and Rider's voices became louder as they came up from the basement and into the hall. They were chatting about one of Rider's past battles and how she used her body to distract her opponent before killing him. Both of them came out into the living room where they saw the children had returned home and were with Archer.

"Oh hello Master," Rider smiled. "I was just telling your mother about one of my adventures."

"We could tell," Shinichi chuckled weakly. This woman was going to be the death of him via hormone overload with all of her raunchy stories, flashing, and innuendos.

"Oh Rider-san has some of the most interesting stories!" Shiori giggled, looking like she was short of breath from laughing so hard. "She's put my privateer story ahead of schedule by months!"

"Really?-!" the indigo-haired boy perked up, his ahoge springing to life. Rika and Hanyuu both giggled at the sight. Shinichi was likely one of the biggest fans of Shiori's writing and was always happy to read copies of it when he could get the chance.

* * *

><p>After dinner, and later in the night, Shinichi went on patrol but he wasn't alone. Of course Rider would be with him to act as backup in case Shinichi should need it since his Spark Core wasn't working and the Scada Buckle wasn't as powerful as his original belt. With the two of them though was Archer. Both Servants were in their battle attire and just waiting for the Darklings and Darkloids to make their appearance.<p>

"You know, there's no reason for you to come along with us, Archer," said Shinichi as he, Rider and Archer walked along the dirt path of Hinamizawa, heading towards the forest.

"My Master, Rika, has told me of these creatures called Darklings and Darkloids and how they are a threat," said Archer. He reasoned, "Thus I think it is prudent of me to come along with you."

"Well, I don't think we'll need you," said Rider, crossing her arms. "These dark things aren't a match for me."

"Don't be too sure, Rider. Remember, their strength varies. They can be small or even gigantic," advised Shinichi. He stopped. "They're here." Right on cue, Darklings emerged from the shadows as Shinichi put on his Scada Buckle.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you wish to go to Okinomiya at this time of night, Mistress?" asked Saber.<p>

"Yes," said Rena. "Darklings and Darkloids sometimes appear there too since it's close to Hinamizawa so I'm going to help Shin-kun with his patrol." She asked, smiling, "You'll help me, won't you, Saber-san?"

"Alas, but I must," Saber chuckled. "Just be sure that when I tell you to do something in the middle of a battle, you must do it. Understand?"

"Hai!" Rena nodded with a salute.

Nodding, Saber drew his sword and it suddenly began to glow. Slashing it sideways, he left a line of lights which flashed brightly before opening. From it, his pure white horse Bayard trotted out with all the fittings of a noble steed. Once the horse was free of the light, the portal shut behind it. Approaching the horse, Saber lifted Rena onto the saddle before he too mounted the animal and took the reins.

"Hold on master," Saber spoke. "We're off!" lashing the reins, Bayard neighed and the pair were off towards Okinomiya like a streak of moonlight illuminating the night.

* * *

><p>The two arrived in Okinomiya on horseback. As expected the streets were empty but there was a dark presence hanging in the air. "They're here," said Rena, shivering. She had been exposed to them so many times she could feel them coming like Shinichi could once they were close enough. Saber got off and helped her off as well as he stood guard, his hand to his sword. As Rena had said, the demons were present and they immediately came out of the shadows to surround them.<p>

"Let us do battle, demons!" declared Saber. However, before he could land a blow a spear flew out of nowhere and struck a Darkling in the chest, causing it to explode into black dust.

"What happened?" Rena asked and her Command Sigils glowed while growing hot. "A Servant?"

"Yes, and it's a new one," said Saber as he saw the spear that was sticking out of the ground. A figure jumped down and grabbed the spear, withdrawing it and holding it straight up.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I decided to come tonight," said the man, stepping out into the light. He was dressed in only a loincloth which made Rena squeak and turn bright red in embarrassment. He turned to face Rena and Saber with a frown. Standing tall, he planted his spear next to him. "I am Servant Lancer. Who are you?"

"Servant Saber," the knight replied, taking a stance. "Although we are meant to battle one another, I must place a priority on these monsters before I can fight you. They are threats to the innocent. You are not."

"Agreed," Lancer nodded. "We can settle our differences later."

Tired of being ignored and overcoming their fear, the Darklings dove for the two Servants.

* * *

><p>"LET IT RI-!"<p>

"Wait, Shinichi," Rider frowned, catching Shinichi's hand before he could activate the buckle. "Look."

Shinichi blinked, but he looked at the approaching Darklings. At first he didn't see anything different about them, but as the monsters shuffled closer he started to notice it. All of the Darklings were peppered with arrows. None of the projectiles were piercing vital organs or were kill shots, but they definitely would hurt. Whatever had shot the Darklings seemed more interested in driving them off than actually killing them.

"Do they normally look like this?" asked Archer.

"No," Shinichi frowned. "Someone else attacked them."

Rider frowned and glanced around as the Darklings moaned in pain as they shambled along. Glancing to behind though, her eyes suddenly bulged open before she grabbed Shinichi and yanked him away while pushing Archer, "DOWN!"

The trio moved just as a black arrow whistled by them well within range of striking them. Missing them, the arrow flew by and struck a Darkling in the forehead, making it explode into black dust.

"I thought I drove you demons off when you crawled out of your pit the first time!" a female voice shouted angrily. "It seems you have yet to learn that lesson!"

Shinichi's Command Sigils glows and Rider confirmed what he was thinking, "It's a Servant."

"That was my first guess," frowned Shinichi as the new Servant came into view. She was a pretty girl in green who was holding a black bow with an arrow notched back, taking aim at the shambling and wounded Darklings.

"Another Archer?" asked Rider.

"Impossible," Archer frowned.

The blonde in green didn't seem to notice the group as she fired another arrow, piercing a second Darkling in the heart and killing it. Moving at a speed even professional archers would envy, the woman claimed a new arrow from…somewhere, and notched it back before firing it to confirm a third kill. In the span of a few seconds, the woman had managed to strike each Darkling in a kill zone with such accuracy it was irrefutable that she was anything but a Servant. Soon enough, all of the Darklings were dead and dust on the ground.

"Despicable demons," the woman spat, showing nothing but disgust. Heaving a sigh, she turned her attention towards the trio of people whom she had nearly struck with her shots. "I see that my senses were not lying and that two Servants are out and about. Identify yourselves!"

"Pushy," Rider grumbled, stepping in front of Shinichi. "I am Servant Rider."

"Servant Archer," Archer answered, standing up with his slingshot in his hand and one of his five stones loaded into it.

"Well met," the woman nodded. "I am Servant Saver."

"Saver?" asked Shinichi. "I don't remember that name being mentioned." He did remember Ruler mentioning 9 Servants in this Holy Grail War. She hadn't mentioned the two additions by name but if this woman, Saver, was who she claimed she was that would make her one of the two additional Servants in this Holy Grail War. "Wait, Ruler said there were 9 Servants and Masters."

"Yes, I recall her words," Rider frowned, drawing her pistols. "There's no mistaking that she's a Servant so there's no way we're getting out of this without a fight."

"You would be correct, Rider," Saver nodded. "For the health and happiness of my Master, you both must perish! Prepare yourselves!"

Before her arrow was notched back completely, Rider and Archer were already on the move. Archer swung his slingshot before unleashing his stone which flew with the force of a bullet at Saver's head. The blonde however reacted at a speed Shinichi had only seen specially designed members of the NUMBERS reach and fired her arrow. It cut through the air and struck the rock out of the air with a small blast. Rider was on the move as she shot at the green-clad woman, but Saver's reflexes were indeed sharp as she dipped to the side to avoid the ball of lead as she drew another arrow and fired at the redhead.

"Shit!" Rider cussed, ducking to the side but the arrow grazed her jacket, leaving a rip on her shoulder. Rolling over the ground, Rider took aim once again and began shooting at Saver. The lead flew peppered through the air as Saver dashed to avoid the attacks, moving rapidly as she reloaded her arrows for another blow.

Archer wasn't idle as he reloaded and fired more of his stones at Saver in attempts to take her down. Saver's speed caused him to miss and hit the ground, looking like high-powered cherry bombs had gone off leaving small craters in the ground.

Shinichi shielded his eyes as one of the rocks impacted nearby before gritting his teeth. Saver was out for blood and she needed to be stopped. Reaching to the Scada Buckle, he grabbed the ripcord before giving it a yank, "Henshin! Let it rip!"

His belt activated, the camouflage colored Scada armor formed over his body, the blue eyes flashing to announce the finished transformation.

Any indication of surprise from Saver came from a slightly quirked eyebrow before she notched her arrow, aimed for the Kamen Rider. Seeing this, Scada instantly activated his time powers, speeding himself up so he could close the gap between himself and the new Servant in the blink of an eye. He then threw a punch, hitting her right in the face with incredible, cybernetically powered, force.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Saber and Lancer were working together to slay the Darklings which seemed to have multiplied since they began. It seemed the creatures were attempting to overpower the two Servants with numbers. Rena was watching from the distance, the Darklings attentions on Saber and Lancer. She didn't take her eyes off the battle for an instant.<p>

Saber, of course, kept Lancer within his sight. He couldn't risk being careless around another Servant, even if the other Servant was helping him. Allies and enemies could change at the drop of a hat and so he needed to be cautious.

* * *

><p>Scada recoiled with a scream as pain exploded in his right shoulder. There was blood dripping from the wound, staining his armor, as an arrow stuck out of it. Saver had a scowl on her face as she had her bow held up which she lowered.<p>

She did not like to be touched by men.

"Master!" Rider cried out.

"I'm…ugh…fine!" Scada grunted as he gripped the arrow before violently ripping it out. He held in his scream as blood spurted out from his wound which slowly began to close as he focused his power to undo the damage. There were still blood stains on his armor, though, but that was inconsequential.

"Are you alright?" Archer asked.

Scada answered, "I've had worse." That wasn't a lie. He'd fought powerful monsters before and they had done a lot worse, or could've done a lot worse to him, and he'd managed to survive against all odds.

He knew there was a gap between regular humans and Servants, but the pain he'd felt was like having a hundred gunshots focused on a single spot simultaneously. An exaggeration, but despite his ability to heal he could still feel the pain caused by Saver's arrow.

Scada looked at Saver's eyes. They were cold, focused and determined. They were like the eyes he had when he had been one of GIN-SHOCKER's pawns. During that time he'd been known as BLACK 13.

It was at that moment, just as he was thinking of his darker past persona was when his consciousness slipped away only to be replaced by another who decided to take the reins. That was when the eyepieces on his helmet changed, shifting from sky blue to blood red. Shinichi hadn't been paying attention and it allowed some of BLACK 13 to leak through so to influence the course of the battle.

He observed Saver, analyzing her from head to toe. She was definitely a fast Servant, being able to fire arrows with deadly accuracy and speed. Still, she could be killed.

But he'd learnt there were other choices to take rather than outright killing. She was just following her Master's orders. He needed a plan if they were going to survive this encounter. "Rider, remember those cannons you used before? I think we're going to need them."

Rider grinned, already thinking the same thing.

"Archer, could you distract Saver for us?" Shinichi asked. His sister's Servant looked at him. He really didn't have to follow another Master's orders but he decided for their survival he would have to do it.

* * *

><p>With the Darklings slain, Saber and Lancer turned their attention towards each other. The barely clothed Servant had his spear shouldered while Saber kept a firm grip on his sword. Rena watched in apprehension. Were they going to fight? She knew why they had to but seeing how they had defeated the Darklings she thought that they could be allies. However, in this Holy Grail War there could be only one winner.<p>

Lancer kept his weapon raised, ready to fight if Saber decided to press. He knew he had to fight the knight but at the moment it would be a rather poorly timed fight. They were in the middle of the city and part of the rules of the War dictated that they not risk exposure by fighting in public places.

'_I hope you can talk your way out of this one Lancer,'_ Natsumi fretted. '_This isn't the best place to try and pick a fight._'

Agreeing with his Master, Lancer decided to attempt diplomacy at the moment, "Saber, although I know we have to fight I feel that this is not the ideal place. Fighting these creatures no doubt alerted somebody that something has happened and the likely alerted the authorities."

Saber frowned, but he couldn't help but agree with the wild man. Fighting monsters was one thing, but the kind of battles that Servants got into were usually destructive and could level buildings if they were left to their own devices for too long. If they weren't careful, innocent people would be getting involved and that would be completely unacceptable. "Very well," said Saber as he sheathed his blade. "We shall fight another time then, Lancer."

Lancer astralized and vanished from sight as Saber turned towards his steed where Rena stood. "So, you're not going to fight?"

"Not tonight, Master," said Saber.

"Saber-san, you know you can call me Rena, right? Rena," she told him.

"Very well," He hesitated, "…Rena…"

Rena beamed. Saber got onto the horse and helped his Master on before snapping the reins. They dashed off. Lancer, who stood on top of a building, watched them go with arms crossed.

* * *

><p>The cannons were fired, the loud noise ringing through the forest. Saver was hit and Rider stood at her Master's side. Archer landed next to them, glaring.<p>

"You could've warned me," he grumbled. "Or was part of the plan eliminating me as well."

"If it were, I would've thought of something more efficient," said Scada. He didn't hide his disapproval of Rika being in the Holy Grail War at all and Archer knew this.

"Boys, you can both argue later," said Rider. "I don't think she's down yet."

The smoke cleared, revealing Saver, still standing.

"OK, having a bad Berserker flashback," Scada gulped.

Saver prepared to attack again when she sensed her energy levels suddenly take a dive. At first she was confused, but then realized that she had been taking too much energy from her Master to heal her injuries and continue the battle. Saver's Master was ill and not very strong. If she took more energy from her, then she might die. Giving the two Servants and one Master one last look, she vanished and withdrew from battle.

"She ran?" Rider blinked.

"She had the upper hand and she ran," Scada added.

"Perhaps she was testing us," Archer guessed. "She got what she felt was enough information on our abilities and decided to retreat to formulate a better strategy?"

Scada sighed, dismissing his transformation and returning to normal. Scratching his head, he muttered, "Man, I hate it when the enemy is smart." Shaking his head, he continued. "Okay, let's try to finish the patrol before we head back. I don't want to make Kaa-chan worry."

"Mama's boy," Rider teased, following her master while Archer chuckled.

* * *

><p>Jessica breathed a breath of fresh air as she and Avenger arrived in Okinomiya, the town that was closest to Hinamizawa. After arriving on the mainland and taken to school, Jessica only remained until the lunch period where she and Avenger snuck out of the school and quickly grabbed a cab. Her allowance covered the fare thankfully, one of the perks of coming from an incredibly rich family. The trip was thankfully uninterrupted, even the cab driver deciding not to talk since it seemed like Jessica was a rich kid runaway and he wanted to go for plausible deniability in case things got hairy.<p>

Dropped off in the town and ready to move, Jessica actually felt rather liberated. She wasn't under her family's thumb anymore and was actually doing something completely independently rather than being guided by her parents or grandfather.

"_What will be our first course of action, Master?_" asked Avenger in his astralized state.

"Food," Jessica announced, her stomach grumbling. "We hadn't stopped all day and I'm starving."

Avenger agreed. A warrior needed to be well fed to have the energy to fight. He then felt his senses alert him of a familiar presence and he quickly informed Jessica. "Master, I sense a Servant coming our way."

Jessica looked to Avenger and heard the sound of galloping, like a horse. "A horse?" Jessica gaped as a she saw a white horse come running past her, ridden by a tall man in armor and a girl behind who was holding him around the waist.

"A Servant," Avenger frowned, clenching his teeth.

Before Jessica could make an order of action, Avenger leaped into action literally. The powerful muscles in his legs allowed him to launch himself forward. He aimed himself well and came crashing down in the middle of the street where the white horse was travelling with its riders. The gray-skinned Servant drew his sword and took up a ready stance.

"Huh?-!" the girl on the horse's back gasped. "Saber-san, is it-!"

"Another Servant," the man frowned, drawing his own sword. "Decorum demands I know who my opponent is."

"Avenger," Jessica's Servant answered, almost like a grunt.

Saber frowned as he dismounted his horse. Whispering in its ear, he then turned to face the truly large and intimidating man. The white horse immediately turned and began to head away from the battle area, the girl on its back struggling to make it stop, "No! Saber-san! Noooooooo~!" Her cries echoed as the horse took her away, leaving the two Servants by themselves.

"You are a fool to allow an advantage like a horse get away," Avenger frowned. "A warrior does not allow any advantage over the enemy to be unused."

"My Master's safety is my utmost concern," Saber retorted. "Everything else comes secondary."

Avenger couldn't help but agree. After all, a Master was needed for a Servant to survive long term. Saber's action to send his Master away to safety was a good strategy. By keeping her out of danger, he assured her survival.

Meanwhile, from a nearby alley, a pair of cold blue eyes watched as Saber and Avenger began to face off. Saber drew his sword.

"I am Servant Saber."

"Servant Avenger."

"Good, now that we know each other, it is time we fight."

"I was waiting for you to say that!" And with that Avenger lunged forward, sword in hand, with Jessica watching nearby.

The steel of the two swords clashed against one another in a flurry of sparks as pressure waves erupted from the impact. Avenger didn't let the stand continue as he growled and began lashing out against Saber with rapid and savage strikes. Saber countered, showing more discipline with his own blade as it reflected the low light of its pristine surface as opposed to what looked like crudely forged steel of Avenger's blade.

The two Servants clashed against one another, moving as if taking the steps of a dance of death. Saber looked far more refined and disciplined that Avenger, but the slate-skinned man seemed to have much more power in his frame, making it difficult to truly tell who had the advantage.

The pair clashed up and down the street, using their respective strengths against one another to try and gain the advantage. Their blows made ripples through the air which Jessica could feel from her hiding place and even broke a street light when they got to close to it.

Avenger let loose a loud bellow and made another charge at Saber, crashing against him with another shower of sparks. Saber was indeed pushed back, but his feet didn't move. Instead, they tore through the ground as he was pushed backwards. Avenger saw his chance and pushed with another shoulder thrust which pushed Saber off balance with a grunt.

"HRAAAAGH!" the gray-skinned warrior bellowed, unleashing another powerful slash.

Saber grit his teeth and leaped away from the attack. Part of his cloak was shredded by the attack, leaving white tatters in the wind. Just behind him though, the front of a diner that the pair had been fighting in front was effectively shattered, glass and steel flying all directions with a loud smashing sound. All of said damage only came from the shockwave of Avenger's strike.

Saber landed in a slight crouch, but then used his leg muscles to propel himself forward, watching as Avenger recovered himself from the blow and tried to get his position back. Still, Saber proved his superior speed by reaching the recovering Avenger and unleashing a slash which cut directly across the Servant's chest, sending a wave of crimson onto the streets.

"Avenger!" Jessica screamed, her heart stopping for a moment.

Saber kept his face grim, silent in respect for his opponent who stumbled backwards as his lifeblood ran down his chest. To Saber, all of the Servants were worthy foes who were fighting for their dreams. A worthy cause no matter what path of life you walked or tactics you employed. Though some Servants may be Anti-Heroes who did not walk the path of chivalry, Saber would not say an ill word towards an opponent like Avenger.

"Grrrrr!"

"Hm?" Saber blinked, hearing Avenger's growl. At first he thought it may be a death cry or a gurgle from blood filling his opponent's lungs, but his senses began telling him otherwise. Rather than Avenger's reserves dropping, they were actually growing! Snapping his gaze to the wounded Servant, he saw that while the gray-skinned man's front was bloody, the wound had been sealed shut and his prana output had indeed increased, making him notably stronger!

"What-?" Saber gasped, but was interrupted when Avenger charged forward with another battle cry, this time being faster than before!

As the two Servants clashed, they were being observed and not just by Assassin whom was crouching on top of the rooftops. Her eyes were on Jessica. The little Servant was at least smart enough to know what sort of threat Avenger and his Master posed. The more he seemed to be hurt by Saber's attacks, the more prana he seemed to pump out and the stronger he became as a whole. It would be extremely difficult to defeat him unless one could kill him quickly. Assassin knew she didn't have that capability and Saber had missed his own opportunity.

As regrettable as it would be, there was no way Assassin could allow Jessica Ushiromiya to live. Gripping two of her knives, she began to move.

* * *

><p><strong>Gebok's Lair<strong>

Gebok wasn't the type to give up any advantage in anything, and with his participation in the Holy Grail War he would use any advantage he had at his disposal. He may not be a magician in the traditional sense, but he was a wizard of science and technology.

He studied Berserker, putting her through tests to observe her limits, while also at the same time trying to figure out what made her tick. She was an impressive machine, a blend of science and magic, and he drooled at the possibilities.

At this very moment, he was watching from his lair the battle between Saber and Avenger. He had hidden surveillance cameras in Hinamizawa and the nearby town of Okinomiya. The war seemed to be focused around those two areas so there was a good chance he could observe the battles taking place and record useful data that might be useful for him to attain victory.

Gebok sat in his chair, watching the battle with interest. "Well, isn't this interesting."

Saber and Avenger seemed like powerful opponents, and a threat to his victory. Both of them were obviously skilled at their preferred weapons and had a lot of experience to back up those skills in battle. Glancing to the examination table where his Servant was patiently waiting for either orders or another examination which she seemed rather fond of having. He called, "My dear Berserker, I think it's time you go out and stretch your limbs."

Berserker began to smile, mimicking Gebok's own leer. Taking both Saber and Avenger out would mean two more steps ahead into gaining the ultimate prize, the Holy Grail.

* * *

><p><strong>Hinamizawa<strong>

Shinichi went to check up on Rena after his, Rider and Archer's little excursion. He wanted to make sure his girlfriend was alright. With the green-clad woman running around, he wanted to make sure that she wasn't made a target. He came to a stop in front of Rena's house, but saw that nothing was amiss other than nobody being home. If that woman had tried to make a target out of Rena, Saber would have fought back and left a whole lot more damage. Seeing that everything was fine, he was about to leave again. That was when his ears picked up the sound of galloping and he spotted a white stead with Rena sitting on it, yelling for the horse to stop. When it finally did stop, it was in front of her house.

"Rena-chan!" Shinichi exclaimed.

"I need to go back!" she cried, snapping the reins. "Saber-san is in trouble!"

"Whoa! What do you mean?" he asked.

"He's fighting a Servant!" she exclaimed.

Now Shinichi was having a dilemna, should he interfere? On one hand, if Saber was eliminated that meant Rena wouldn't need to be in this dangerous game anymore. However, she would still be a Master with her Command Sigils and a stray Servant with no Master could still make a contract with her nonetheless. She could also still be targeted since she would not have a Servant to protect her and another Master would want her removed to a Masterless Servant wouldn't have a means to stay in the game.

It might've gone against his better judgment, but he was going to help Saber. He could at least trust the knight to protect Rena. Other Servants out there may not be so benevolent. Anti-Heroes were able to become Heroic Spirits too.

"What kind of Servant?" he questioned. "Describe them."

"A big grey man with blonde hair!" Rena described, still trying to get the horse to turn around so they could go back to Okonomiya. "We have to hurry Shin-kun! Lancer is there too!"

"Lancer too?" Rider raised an eyebrow. "Oh we can't avoid this then." She grinned at her Master. "Let's get a move on!"

"I agree," Archer nodded. "This is too much of a good opportunity."

"Then we'll go," Shinichi nodded. "Stay here Rena-chan!"

"But-!" Rena tried to argue, but she was cut off by the sound of Shinichi's motorcycle before the machine began roaring down the road towards Okinomiya.

* * *

><p><strong>Okinomiya<strong>

Saber landed heavily on the ground, panting slightly from the effort he had been putting into the battle. His armor had some dents and his robes had cloth cuts in it. A trail of blood was even running down his face, indicating just how rough a shape he was in. On the other hand, Avenger had several cuts on his body with blood trailing from the wounds, but rather than getting tired like Saber was getting, Avenger seemed to be more invigorated for every blow that he took.

'_Is this part of his Noble Phantasm?_' Saber wondered to himself.

"I believe your time in the Holy Grail War is about to cut short," said Avenger as he raised his sword. "However, it was an honor to face one considered to the best of the Servant Classes."

'_I guess this is goodbye. Sorry, Rena. I won't be coming back._' It was regrettable that he wouldn't be able to stay with his Master until the very end. At least he would go down fighting. Gripping his sword tightly once again, he prepared to charge at Avenger once again…

Suddenly, a loud feminine roar was heard, causing Avenger, Saber and Jessica to look around. Even Assassin had paused, recognizing that sound vividly. It seemed thought that the battle had attracted some attention.

Jumping down from a nearby rooftop was Berserker as she brought up her weapon. She aimed for the closest target and struck Avenger with all her might.

"Avenger!" Jessica cried.

* * *

><p>At the same time, Shinichi, Rider and Archer were on their way. Archer had opted to travel in Astral form while Rider was riding the Showa-Racer at full speed with Shinichi in the sidecar.<p>

"I'm confused, Master!" Rider said. "Why would you want to save Saber? Wouldn't his elimination be a good thing? You've objected to your girlfriend's participation since you found out!"

"Call me crazy, but I don't want to see Rena-chan cry!" Shinichi answer. "Saber's become part of her life! He's her friend and while I would want to see him gone I don't want Rena-chan to be hurt!"

"She has you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?" Rider asked.

"She owns my heart since I gave it to her and I swore to always protect her in any way I could," said Shinichi. "Her and everyone else I care about in fact! I guess you can say that's my own perception of justice!"

Rider smiled. She really did have an interesting Master. He was either brave or foolish but at least he wasn't the type to hide himself while his Servant went to battle. Of course it would be a poor strategy to leave himself exposed during a Servant Battle, but she learnt that he wasn't the type to let his friends fight alone.

"We're close," said Rider, sensing the presence of Saber and his opponent. She then sensed a third energy signature as well, and it was approaching the battle quickly. "And there's trouble."

"Big trouble?"

"Berserker."

Shinichi sighed. Why couldn't things be easy?

* * *

><p>Berserker came down almost like a bolt of lightning from an angry god, aiming her weapon at Avenger's face. The gray-skinned Servant raised his weapon up and managed to block the powerful strike, but his knees buckles slightly as lightning bolts sparked in all directions from the impact. Gravity took hold and Berserker landed on her feet, but she didn't retreat. She instead reared back for another swing, letting her mace crash against Avenger's sword in another block. The awkward angle forced Avenger to try and step back to get his balance back, but Berserkers weren't known for retreating for anything less than a direct order and the bridal beast was no different. She kept on the attack, smashing wildly with her mace, crashing against Avenger's sword with blasts of electricity over and over again.<p>

Grunting, Avenger repositioned his feet before smashing his shoulder against the bridal beast in a charge before the pair of them crossed the street and smashed through the diner which Avenger had already destroyed once. The pair crashed against the main counter, crumpling it under the force and their combined weight.

Berserker snarled and repositioned her weapon to where the iron ball was nearly touching her hand before driving the tool into Avenger's temple. The slate-skinned man grunted in pain as lightning coursed through his body and stumbled backwards in a daze. It allowed Berserker to get back up to her feet before slugging Avenger across the face with her weapon, sending him sailing back outside with another thunderclap.

"Avenger!" Jessica cried, feeling absolutely helpless.

"Stand back, Master!" Avenger said as he steadied his stance and put his sword before him. "Let me slay this beast!"

"Care for assistance?" Saber asked as he stood next to Avenger, earning an odd look from the gladiator.

"Why?" Avenger asked.

"This beast is a threat to my Master as well and while you and I are opponents, I believe it is in everyone's best interest that it be taken down," said Saber.

"You can barely stand, though," Avenger remarked.

"This is but a flesh wound," Saber retorted.

Assassin, meanwhile, decided to withdraw for now. While she could easily kill her target at this time, it was late and her Master might be worried if she were to suddenly go missing. Plus, despite having Presence Concealment, it would be easy for the other three Servants to spot her and go after her instead of each other considering how she was likely the most threatening figure to the Masters as a whole. Memorizing Jessica's face, she stepped back into the shadows.

* * *

><p>The bike wasn't the only vehicle to have weapons. The sidecar was equipped with a weapon system as well. The glass windshield became a computer screen as a keyboard came out in front of Shinichi. "OK, let's see..."<p>

"What are you doing?" Rider asked as she glanced at her Master.

"Just setting things up," said Shinichi as he looked at the list of weapons his bike had. "Alright, let's do this. Locking onto targets." He pressed the button. "Fire."

* * *

><p>A whistling noise was heard before a huge explosion erupted from behind Berserker. Jessica cried out as she was nearly blown away but Avenger shielded her quickly.<p>

"Oh yeah! Booyah!" Shinichi cheered as the missiles did their work. Of course, those were the bike's only missiles until he reloaded it. At least the lasers in the headlights didn't need to be reloaded.

"Your aim may need a little work," Rider snickered, getting off the machine.

"Berserker and the other guy would take the brunt of it," Shinichi shrugged, likewise dismounting. "Hopefully it gives enough cover to let Saber get away. Rena's going to be worried sick until he comes back."

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"Aw shit!"

The white and crimson form of Berserker burst from the smoke, bloody but not beaten. She continued her loud battle cry before she came down with her mace ready to make an impact. Shinichi and Rider both cursed under their breath before leaping out of the way, leaving Berserker to smash Shinichi's bike like it was a rotten banana, making a crater in the road.

"Oh come on!" Shinichi groaned, upset by the destruction of his vehicle and main mode of transportation.

"Move Master!" Rider shouted, drawing her pistols and beginning a salvo of gunshots to try and wear Berserker down even more.

At another part of the battlefield, Jessica coughed as dust from the explosion got in her lungs. When the ringing in her ears subsided enough, she discovered that she was in the arms of her Servant, whom was covered in even more wounds than before despite looking quite vigorous just the same.

"Avenger? Are you okay?" she asked.

"Just fine," Avenger grunted, standing up, satisfied that his Master was unharmed. "It seems the enemy has forgotten us for the moment to face the new arrivals."

"Is it always going to be this intense?" Jessica asked.

"Yes, and oddly enough this is just the beginning. It gets worse from here on," he told her.

What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

><p><strong>Gebok's Lair<strong>

Meanwhile, from the safety of his lair, Gebok watched as Shinichi and his Servant Rider engaged Berserker.

"It seems my rebellious creation could not ignore this. Just as planned," Gebok said as he watched the live feed. He then tapped several keys.

* * *

><p><strong>Okinomiya<strong>

Suddenly, appearing out of nowhere were men in black armored bodysuits with rib-like patterns on their chests and skull masks. Shinichi didn't recognize them but he knew what they were and who they worked for as they supported Berserker.

They were android foot soldiers created by Dr. Gebok.

"Rider, I'll handle them," said Shinichi. If he could not fight Servants and win, he might as well be able to take care of these androids.

Rider gave her Master a look that pretty much said that she would not argue with his decision. Putting on his Scada Buckle, he went through the motions and pulled the ripcord.

"Henshin!" Releasing the ripcord, thus activating the buckle, Shinichi transformed into Kamen Rider Scada. Dashing towards the androids who recognized him as their target, they immediately went to engage him in order to subdue and capture him. Scada went into a stance and clashed with the first android to come within range. Android foot soldiers, while easily mass-produced, were only as strong as their numbers. However, their strength in numbers could not match up to Shinichi's own power and skill.

A single punch buried his fist into the android's chest and he tore his hand free from the unit as two more attacked. Jumping over them, he spun around and used a hook kick to knock one down before following up with a roundhouse. Spinning around, he was hit by an android trooper before he retaliated with a combo of punches and a right hook that knocked it down. Blocking a punch with his forearm, another android trooper was taken down as it was sent flying by a punch to its stomach.

Another trooper attempted to leap at him from behind. Scade turned to attempt to smash it out of the air, but there was a flash of light before the machine was bisected by a sword, revealing Saber. He was dusty from the explosion, but otherwise fine.

"Uh…hi Saber," Scada greeted.

"Your aim needs work," the bronze knight sighed. "Shall we try to deal with Berserker now?"

"Works for me!" Scada nodded.

Rider grunted as she avoided another crushing blow from Berserker, who seemed to be targeting her over Saber, her master, or the other Servant who was playing cover likely over his own Master. Still, since he didn't seem interested in fighting at the moment then she could ignore him for the time being. Berserker was trouble enough!

"Eat lead!" Rider hissed, firing off several more rounds at the bridal beast. The bullets plowed into Berserker's body, spilling more staining red onto Berserker's white dress. It didn't stop the bridal beast as she continued her roaring charge. That was when a stone came flinging down from the air, colliding with the Berserker's forehead, knocking her onto her back.

Rider blinked and looked up, spotting Archer with a rock loaded into his slingshot, "Where the heck have you been?"

"It's not easy to get into position with all of this chaos going on," the green-haired young man smiled. "And you dropped me off a fair distance back so not to arouse suspicion. Any wounds you suffered until now you brought on yourselves."

"You're just calm because your Master isn't here," Rider grumbled, bringing the hammers of her pistols back. "Now let's kill this bitch and get one step closer to winning already."

Berserker snarled and leaped back to her feet, an animalistic scowl on her face. Archer and Rider weren't intimidated as they readied their weapons for another blast of battle.

Saber slashed another android soldier down, taking note that the new enemies were in fact machines rather than people, "Where did these soldiers come from?"

"Blame Gebok, Berserker's Master," Scada grunted, kicking another soldier away. "The bastard will do anything to skewer the odds in his favor. Didn't Rena-chan mention him to you?"

"She mentioned an 'uncute meanie' who made you what you are," Saber commented, cutting down another soldier. "She never mentioned any names though."

"Sounds like Rena-chan," Scada chuckled.

With Avenger, Jessica could only gape at the sight of the costumed boy fighting off the men in the black outfits which looked like skeleton suits. She almost thought he was killing them but soon discovered that the men were in fact robots.

"Something's not right," Avenger frowned, eyeing the chaos of the battle. "Someone is interfering with things if they are using machines such as these fake men to assist them in battle."

"Do you think they're helping one of the Servants?" asked Jessica.

"Either the one in blue or the one in white," Avenger replied, his eyes darting over the battlefield. Despite being a large muscular man who was sometimes silent, he was far from a meathead that many would assume him to be. His mind was as sharp as his blade making him a power to be wary of on the battlefield.

"What about that guy in the costume?" asked the teenage heiress.

"He's a Master, albeit a kind I have never known to exist," Avenger replied. "Usually a Master's place is out of the way of battle." A particularly loud crunch sounded off between the bridal beast's attacks, noting that another android soldier had been taken down. "It seems he and his Servant have something of an advantage."

Another bellow brought attention back to Berserker as she attempted to smash both Rider and Archer into bloody smears on the ground while they attempted to fire back with their personal weapons. They'd score hits, but even with her white dress turning red from her blood none of it seemed to slow the maniac down.

"I hate Berserkers!" Rider cursed. Her right eye was swollen shut from a glancing blow from the bridal beast.

"I agree," Archer agreed, loading another stone into his slingshot. "This one is becoming most troublesome."

If Berserker was insulted, she didn't show it amongst her rage. Instead, she just let loose another insane bellow before she charged at the pair of Servants once again, murder clearly in her eyes. Her mace was ready to come down and the pair were ready to move…

"OOOHHHHHAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The battle cry sounded off, stunning a lot of people into stillness before a brown blur leaped down from above. Landing on the ground was a man in a loincloth with long brown hair and a primitive spear. Snarling, the man lunged forward and pierced Berserker straight through her stomach, making the woman gag on the blood. The primitive man then unleashed another yell before _hurling _Berserker clean through the air and smashing into the completely ruined diner which was more or less a lost cause at this point.

Rider and Archer blinked as they watched the man take a stance, Berserker's blood on his spear as he kept an eye out for the bridal beast's return. The redhead eyed the man, his weapon, then began to speak, "Lancer I presume?"

"Indeed," the wild man nodded. "I am he."

"Have you come to take part in this battle," asked Archer, preparing to move.

"As much as I know I should, I cannot," Lancer replied. "I have been in the city watching the battle and have come to warn you that authorities have been mobilized. Can't you hear the sirens?"

Rider and Archer blinked, but then began focusing on aspects outside of the battle. Other than hearing Scada and Saber destroying the last of the android soldiers, they could indeed begin to hear sirens in the distance, and they were getting louder.

"Oh shit," Rider cursed. Turning to see Scada crush the last soldier, she whistled sharply to get his attention, "Master! The cops are coming! We have to get out of here!"

"Huh?" Scada blinked, looking up. He then noticed the sirens as well. "Of crap! We've gotta get out of here!"

"Then let us go now!" Saber nodded.

The group of four quickly began to move in the direction of Hinamizawa. Lancer again leaped up to avoid the police and landed on the rooftops before he himself made a break to avoid detection of his own. Below, Avenger and Jessica had made tracks as they heard Lancer's warning, not wanting to get caught especially since Jessica was a high profile person on her own, being the granddaughter of the somewhat infamous Kinzo Ushiromiya. People likely knew she was missing now and her grandfather and her mother were probably organizing searches by now.

Inside of the ruined diner, there was a blast of electricity before Berserker stood up with a snarl, a cut cable clenched in her hand which led to a plug in the wall, feeding more electricity into the mad Servant, recovering her wounds.

She was about to step out and find something to attack when a piece of machinery in her ear, secured to her skin crackled to life, "_That's enough Berserker. Daddy is very pleased. Now come home. Daddy misses you._"

Berserker's snarl dropped off her face and was quickly replaced with a loopy grin. Dropping the cable, she vanished into her astralized form so to return to her 'father' so he could praise her and look at her again.

The authorities arrived a literal heartbeat later.

* * *

><p>Arriving back home, Shinichi dropped what remained of his bike in front of the garage. He had carried it on his back the entire trip and was not winded at all. He did have a cybernetically remodelled body so he had the strength and stamina to carry the machine back with him. It did get kind of cumbersome after the first ten minutes though.<p>

"Was it really necessary to bring this back?" Saber asked, noting the damage on the vehicle.

"I couldn't leave it for the authorities to take," said Shinichi. The bike was a custom model, equipped with weapons that should not exist on a vehicle. "There aren't that many bikes like this around."

"So, what were those mechanical dolls?" Saber asked.

"Minions created by Dr. Gebok, Berserker's Master," Shinichi answered with a frown.

"And who is this Dr. Gebok?" Archer asked.

"The worst kind of person to ever exist," Shinichi answered curtly as he clenched his fists.

"So, this Dr. Gebok is able to create mechanical minions to support Berserker then," Saber nodded.

"Look, I'm tired, Saber. Do you mind just going back to Rena-chan and make sure she's alright?" Shinichi requested, not wanting to talk about Dr. Gebok. Just thinking about him put him in a foul mood.

Saber nodded and went on his way with Archer and Rider watching and Shinichi dragging the remains of his bike back into the garage. He was going to have it repaired but later.

Archer astralized and left both Rider and Shinichi alone. Rider knew of Shinichi's grudge against Gebok. After their first confrontation with Gebok and Berserker, Shinichi had told her of how Gebok had kidnapped him and for ten years modified his body to turn him into a weapon.

* * *

><p>Archer walked into the house and immediately sought out his Master who was enjoying some late night tea while waiting for her brother and the rest of them to return. Hanyuu was there as well, but she was asleep and snoozing softly at the table. The green-haired young man quietly took a seat across from Rika, looking her in the eye and she immediately knew that he wanted to talk about something important.<p>

"Master, what do you know of someone named 'Dr. Gebok'?" Archer asked. Rika blinked at the sudden and quite blunt question. They hadn't heard from Dr. Gebok since the fall of GIN-SHOCKER.

"Where did you hear that name?" she questioned.

"Your brother mentioned him and Dr. Gebok appears to be the Master of Berserker," Archer answered. "We encountered her earlier and she was accompanied by mechanical men."

Rika sighed. If there was anyone that could be a dangerous opponent in the Holy Grail War, it was Dr. Gebok. "Dr. Gebok is a scientist who has no regard for human life or rights. When Shinichi was six years old he was kidnapped and for ten long years Dr. Gebok trained, conditioned, and modified him to become the perfect weapon. Shinichi was not a willing participants and he hates Dr. Gebok for what he did and for what he made him do."

"This man is truly this amoral to turn a child into a weapon?" Archer asked in very clear disgust.

"He is obsessed with creating the perfect weapon and believes Shinichi is it," Rika explained. "He has been determined to reclaim Shinichi for his weapons program. Recently his organization was destroyed and we believed that we heard the end of him. However, he has an annoying habit of reemerging even after death."

"I see," Archer frowned. "How dangerous is he on his own?"

"Incredibly so," Rika replied. "Despite being clearly insane, he's a genius in many fields of science. He can create all sorts of monsters which he has used to pursue Shinichi in the past, never mind the abilities he had grafted into his own body for the same purpose. If Berserker is his Servant, then I don't even want to think about what kind of things he can do with that kind of power."

"Then it is all the more imperative to track him down," Archer urged. "Is there any way we can find him?"

"He has only ever come to us and we have never been able to track him," Rika sighed. "He knows Shinichi and those like him too well. He can hide from them and has lairs hidden all over the world."

"So he's going to stay hidden while sending out Berserker to deal with all of the other Servants," Archer sighed. "Those are likely the most annoying kind of Masters to fight."

"That's Gebok," Rika frowned. "Shinichi is not going to be in a good mood. Whenever Gebok becomes involved, he becomes depressed or angry, sometimes a mix of both. We hate it when he's like that because he can't help but recall what was done with him. Shiori-mama and Rena are likely the only people who could possibly hate Gebok more than Shinichi does."

That was understandable as mothers could become quite enraged over the mistreatment of their children and from what he'd witnessed himself, Rena was quite protective and caring for Shinichi's wellbeing.

Shinichi and Rider both entered the house with the former sighing.

"Rough night?" Rika asked.

"Yes, rough night," Shinichi confirmed.

"Gebok?" Rika questioned. The scowl answered her question. "Tea?" she offered.

"That would be nice," Shinichi accepted.

Sitting down with a cup of tea, Shinichi let out a sigh. "No matter what I do, and no matter how many times I kill him, Gebok always comes back to ruin my life."

"He should seek professional help," suggested Rika.

"He should be imprisoned for life," Shinichi argued. "That way if he's in the shower he'll need to be careful not to drop the soap." The image amused him. Whenever Gebok was concerned he couldn't help but be sadistic.

"My Master-" began Archer.

"Archer, from now on just call me by my name," insisted Rika.

"Master Rika," Archer corrected, causing Rika to roll her eyes, "says that Gebok is quite resourceful."

"Resourceful doesn't just cut it. I mean I don't know where he gets the equipment or supplies from, but he always manages to make himself an army and those android troopers are just the tip of the iceberg," Shinichi answered.

"He has Berserker, how much worse can it get?" Rider asked.

"He can create monsters," Shinichi answered.

"I already told Archer that," said Rika.

"Well, did you tell him that those monsters were once people that Gebok captured and then mutated before cybernetically augmenting them?" Shinichi questioned. He explained, "That's how GIN-SHOCKER created their army. They grabbed any participants, willing or unwilling, and modified their bodies to turn them into living weapons," said Shinichi as he squeezed the cup until it broke under the strain. "Shit!" he cursed as the broken pieces of the cup and spilled tea lay on the table.

"I'll get a towel," Rika sighed, getting up from her seat. The small girl quickly grabbed a cloth and brought it to her adoptive brother so he could clean the mess he created. Shinichi's hands weren't cut, a perk of his enhancements but also a reminder of the crimes Gebok had committed against him.

"Why didn't you tell us when it first became clear that Gebok had returned?" asked Rika as the tea and pieces of cup were cleaned up.

"Gebok's _my _problem," Shinich answered, checking the floor to see if any of the piece had dropped onto the floor. "It would only upset everyone to know that he was back."

"Considering Rena and I are in the Holy Grail War and that Gebok is a Master too, he is our problem just as much as he is yours," Rika argued. "Shiori-mama isn't blind either. She'll be able to tell that something was bugging you and you've only become this moody whenever Gebok is involved. She can read you like an open book."

"I just didn't want her to worry," Shinichi weakly argued back. "She's suffered so much because of him. I don't want him to hurt her anymore."

"We hurt every time you come back after having to fight him," Rika sighed. "Please...Onii-chan. We're your family. We want to help you. Please let us."

Shinichi blinked, "Rika..."

Rider and Archer both watched at the sidelines, feeling warm and fuzzy over the moment between siblings.

* * *

><p>Jessica was able to find accomodations in Okinomiya. Not too far away was a hotel and she got herself a room. It was a good thing that she managed to take some money with her but she would need to get more in order to continue participating in this Holy Grail War. What she had seen earlier was just one of the many battles that would occur in this game and it had been intense to watch as it turned from a one-on-one battle between Avenger and Saber, to a brawl when others suddenly arrived.<p>

She then remembered the Master in the costume. Her friends had told her something about it and she recalled what he was called, "Kamen...Rider..."

"Are you well Master?" asked Avenger, sitting on the floor.

"Um...yes," Jessica nodded, snapping out of her funk. "Just...a little shocked at how much that fight...escalated."

"Most battles have a habit of doing that," Avenger nodded. "This was only a small scale battle when it comes to Heroic Spirits such as ourselves. None of us had used our Noble Phantasms. If we did, the destruction would have increased at least ten-fold."

"Ten-fold?-!" Jessica gaped. "Just what the heck are Noble Phantasms if they can do that?-!"

"They are the solid manifestations of the mysteries and legends which surround a Heroic Spirit," Avenger explained. "They can come in the forms of weapons, or physical aspects of the Heroic Spirits. They are solid manifestations of the symbols that represent us."

Jessica blinked, trying to wrap her mind around the explanation, "So... they're things which we would attribute to a hero? Like King Arthur's sword or Medusa's eyes?"

"Exactly," the gray-skinned man nodded. "I too hold a Noble Phantasm, although I would rather keep it a secret. To know the name of a Noble Phantasm is to become much closer to discerning the identity of the Heroic Spirit wielding it."

"I see," Jessica nodded. This magic and summoning business was a lot more complicated than she had thought. How had her grandfather managed to figure all of this out?

* * *

><p><strong>Rokkenjima<strong>

Kinzo Ushiromiya was furious. He had entered his private library for a reading over some of his preferred works when he noticed that one of his books had gone missing. It was rather easy to notice since the tome in question was rather thick and in a prominent place. As a sorcerer who specialized in summoning, he knew every book which dealt with the subject and where it was at all times.

Looking at Kinzo, one wouldn't think he looked a whole lot like an intimidating person. He wore a white suit with a black cloak over his shoulders, both marked with the family crest of a half eagle in a gold outline. He was an older man with white hair and a beard, but despite his age he was still fit despite doctors saying that he only hat a short time to live. It didn't seem to faze him though, even if his four children seemed to have been put into a bout of excitement over it.

Still, Kinzo wasn't thinking about his gold digging children at the moment. Instead, he was concentrating on the fact that someone had stolen one of his books on summoning. The head of the Ushiromiya Family considered himself a supreme sorcerer and did not take to anybody learning the craft from anywhere outside of his instruction, and he refused to try and teach anyone lest they steal the favor of the Golden Witch from him.

Growling under his breath, Kinzo waved his arm. Around the library, several circles with arcane markings appeared through the carpet of his private library and flashed brightly before each of them brought fourth what looked like a small dark-skinned imp with bat-like wings and beady eyes complete with horns.

"Search the mansion and the whole island if you have to, mark where all of my family members are," he barked. "Find my tome!"

The imps shuddered, but then nodded and began phasing through the walls to begin their search.

Kinzo clenched his teeth, already plotting the punishment for the person who stole the book he placed such value in.

* * *

><p><strong>KAMEN RIDER CHROME: And so, both Jessica and Avenger have both arrived and the blonde gets her first taste of the Holy Grail War. However, her participation did not go unnoticed. Her grandfather is sure to realize it is her who is responsible and will stop to nothing to either get his book back or use Jessica to claim the Holy Grail for himself. Also, Gebok once again gets under Shinichi's skin like he always has. There's just a lot more talking than action, but still plenty of action nonetheless. Berserker as well is dangerous. Mindless, but she's backed up by a Master with incredible resources. However, there is still ARMOR. Hopefully, Shinichi can try to tell someone in ARMOR who could understand or at least use ARMOR's resources to find out more about the Servants in the Holy Grail War. Let's not forget our dear Saver, though.<strong>

**TEN-FACED PALADIN: The Grail War is going to be even more heated and this is only the beginning. Assassin is getting close to scoring kills so to achieve her dream while outside forces are going to begin getting even more involved. Mix in Kinzo's attention and things are going to get even more explosive.**


	5. Chapter IV

**FATE/ETERNAL TEARS**

**Chapter IV: The Daily Life of Heroes**

While everyone was asleep, Shinichi was up in his room and sitting at his desk with a sheet of paper in front of him and a pencil in hand. He twirled the writing utensil in his fingers, just looking at the sheet of paper.

Written on the sheet of paper was a list of Servants and their corresponding Masters. However, the list was currently incomplete. He knew what the Servant classes were, but he only knew a fraction of their Masters' identities. He had no clue about the real names of the Servants themselves.

What he did get in terms of solid information was as followed.

**SERVANT-MASTER**

Rider-Shinichi

Saber-Rena

Berserker-Gebok

Archer-Rika

Lancer-?

Caster-?

Assassin-?

Saver-?

Avenger-?

Shinichi sighed. Just looking at the list just gave him a headache. Of course, now with Saber's help he knew what to look out for when and if he ever encountered Avenger. The knight, whom was a Servant of his girlfriend, had provided some valuable information. Lancer was a jungleman with a spear and Avenger was some kind of grey-skinned gladiator. The problem was though that Shinichi didn't know any stories about legendary wildmen and there were too many stories about gladiators and Romans to be sure which one of them was Avenger.

Still, the identity of their Masters escaped him and he'd yet to encounter Caster himself. That scared Shinichi since he wasn't exactly grounded in the magical arts beyond the three treasures of Hinamizawa. There was also Saver, a new Servant he, Archer and Rider had encountered the night before and she was definitely something else. However, despite having the upper hand, she withdrew. Why she did, Shinichi didn't know but with how well she fought it was likely a good bet she could have won if she started whipping out her most powerful attacks.

Still, he knew next to nothing about her, and then there was Assassin. That Servant was a mystery. The being that was Assassin attacked them while covering the area in a thick mist. Of course as a former assassin himself he could understand how strategic it was to make sure their target could not see them coming before he was too late. It was a staple of the craft of assassination to use everything to your advantage from the weather to ordinary objects.

But Shinichi's main concern was Dr. Gebok. He was a Master and also the Master of Berserker, the Mad Servant, and she was definitely a powerful contender in this Holy Grail War. She had raw power but the trade off was her power of reasoning. All she cared about was pleasing Dr. Gebok who shamelessly called himself Berserker's 'daddy'.

And if things weren't bad enough, due to his contract with Rider and that his Spark Core was supplying the redhead with mana, he couldn't transform. His fellow cyborgs didn't know since he was keeping the Holy Grail War secret from them but they would definitely learn about it if they investigated. With how he was supposed to keep the Holy Grail War a secret, he didn't want to have to explain what was going on and possibly put them at risk with Ruler's decree.

His bike was also thrashed. He was going to need days, maybe weeks, to get it working again. As he tried to work out a schedule on fixing his bike, Shinichi yawned. The late hours and the drain from his Spark Core was leaving him tired. He had school tomorrow so he needed to go sleep. He would take care of things in the morning.

* * *

><p>Jessica couldn't sleep. Her family should realize she was missing right now. She could already predict their reactions. Her father would likely bluster and make a scene, but he would be more concerned about running his business than facing the reality of his home life. Her mother would be a worried wreck, organizing police searches, volunteer groups, media exposure, the whole nine yards. Natsuhi Ushiromiya was great at things like that. She was likely the only reason that the household hadn't fallen apart since her father Krauss Ushiromiya seemed incapable of seeing anything outside of his business. Her grandfather would likely make a show for the sake of public face, but the majority of her aunts and uncles likely wouldn't care either way and would probably hope to use the incident as a boost in their own ideas in getting her grandfather's inheritance. The only ones who would likely be honestly worried would be her uncle Hideyoshi and her aunt Kyrie. Her cousins George, Battler, Ange, and Maria would likely be worried sick once the news reached them. Battler would no doubt be using every contact in the police force to try and help the search along.<p>

She always liked her cousins. They were always nice to each other even though their parents were always scheming against each other like criminals. Battler and George were the eldest ones and treated Jessica, Ange, and Maria like little sisters rather than cousins or half-siblings in the case of Battler and Ange.

They always made living in the Ushiromiya Traditional Home bearable.

* * *

><p>In the Meta-World, the Observers reviewed the battle which had taken place in Okinomiya. It was certainly amusing enough with the destruction and chaos. Lambdadelta giggled in rapture of the sight of it all. Beatrice merely watched in approval at Jessica's Servant while Bernkastel simply watched on. Only one person seemed to have a concern...<p>

"Is Gebok allowed to use his mechanical creations in the Holy Grail War?" asked Virgilia. She felt that such an act would be in violation of a sacred ritual like this.

"As far as I know he's not violating any of the rules," shrugged Topper. "It's never stated that android troopers could not be used."

"That's because no mage would ever use such things," argued Virgilia.

"But they have used golems," Topper retorted. "Masters are allowed to use every ability they have at their disposal. It was traditionally mages who fought in Grail Wars so of course none of them would use modern technology."

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud," Beatrice sighed, exhaling a plume of smoke. "It's the same result but with just different methods. Like how a mage would shoot fireballs while a mundane would use a flamethrower for the same effect. If anything, it gives this Gebok fellow leeway since science is widely accepted by the world at large, he can actually afford to be more...dramatic."

"One of the things I like about him!" Lambdadelta grinned.

"Still, I feel as if he's breaking the spirit of the rules if not the rules themselves," Virgilia frowned.

"Tell you what, I'll send my furniture the Stakes to keep an eye on things as sort of extra eyes for Ruler. Asmodeus has been asking for an excuse to be close to that Yoko-something or other anyway. Fair?" Beatrice offered.

"Much better," Virgilia nodded, her smile returning.

"Just remember to tell them they cannot interfere in such battles unless the rules are broken or my lovely Ruler orders it," Topper reminded them.

Beatrice agreed. She would summon them all in private and give them their instructions. In fact, the Stakes would act as enforcers to make sure that the rules of this Holy Grail War were not at all violated.

* * *

><p>Asmodeus was happy, very happy, extremely happy that nothing could rid her of the happy feeling she was feeling.<p>

Beatrice had just given her and her sisters an order to go to the Real World and watch over this new game called the Holy Grail War. Many of her siblings grumbled over the orders, but that was more for show like Satan would. It meant that they could have a real reason to hang out in the Real World and have fun rather than be on standby in the Meta-Realm for hours on end. However, it meant only one thing to the blonde Stake of Lust.

She got to see Yokoshima again.

Her sisters, however, didn't see how she could fall for such a guy. Sure, he was a super-powered cyborg super soldier but he wasn't exactly the sharpest tool of the shed. Asmodeus, however, didn't care about that. He was just so sweet and kind. Plus he had the libido equal to that of ten people his age at times which made for some very hot and raunchy times which as the Stake of Lust, Asmodeus could really appreciate.

Maybe if she hooked up her sisters with the other NUMBERS they'd finally accept Yokoshima?

* * *

><p>The following morning, Shinichi yawned as he walked to school with Rika and Hanyuu. Along the way they met up with Rena who joined in their morning walk towards the Hinamizawa School. Rena was relieved to see that Shinichi was alright. She had been mad at Saber for just sending her off, though. Luckily for Saber, Shinichi had made sure that the Servant was alright. It didn't stop Rena from cuddling Shinichi's arm as soon as she saw him though.<p>

Meanwhile, at the Hinamizawa School, Jackie (Assassin) was looking out the window. She had seen two new Servants last night and only knew the face of one of their Masters. She looked like a student too, so Jackie was keeping an eye on all of the students and teens in the area so to try and get a name attached to the face.

Jackie understood that the more she knew about the enemy, the more advantages she would gain in winning the Holy Grail War for Akane without getting her Master/Mother involved.

Jackie spotted Shinichi, Rika, Hanyuu and Rena running towards the school as she watched them from the window. They made their way into the building and ran down the hallway towards the classroom door. Shinichi threw the door open and declared, "Safe!" He laughed and turned to the girls. "Looks like I win the race, girls!"

Jackie's eyes went towards Shinichi. He was Rider's Master. The other girl, Rena, was Saber's Master. They were the enemy.

Unfortunately, they were also her sisters' friends. They didn't seem like bad people but Jackie knew that in this Holy Grail War there could only be one winner and while one way to earn victory was in a fight to the death between Servants, targeting the Masters themselves was also a legitimate strategy.

But for now, Jackie needed them alive. Berserker was definitely the most dangerous enemy at the moment. The Mad Servant's Master was also nowhere to be seen during last night's battle and thus she could not target him, and fighting Berserker was the equivalent of suicide. She couldn't do it, not alone. That meant she would need to wait until Berserker was dealt with by the others.

She only hoped that Berserker would be taken down quickly and she could get her chance to win the right to be with Mother.

* * *

><p>Satoshi and Satoko were walking to school to meet up for their friends. One thing which deviated from the normal day to day activities though was the fact that Caster was silently following in his astralized form to follow his Master to protect him better with so many battles beginning to heat up. To Satoshi's annoyance, it didn't stop Caster from scribbling in his book or asking the odd rude question now and then in order for him to get more information on a subject, usually his and Satoko's personal histories or those of their friends.<p>

"Do you really have to follow us, Caster?" asked Satoshi.

"Of course I do," the Servant replied. "Did you not hear about the destruction in the nearby town last night?"

"Hard not to," Satoshi sighed. "It was all over the news."

"The Holy Grail War is heating up and soon we will be called to battle," Caster nodded. "It is best we be near each other at all times since I am no fighter and you are not powerful enough to win but together we are able to become a force to contend with."

"Right, right," Satoshi sighed, knowing his Servant had a point.

"Nii-nii, stop talking to Caster when he's invisible," Satoko chided her brother. "People will think you're crazy."

Satoshi sighed. Being scolded on all sides would drive him nuts long before anything else happened in the Holy Grail War. He hadn't actually participated in any of the actual fights of the war, but he had spent his time training with Caster's help. Well, 'training' was a bit of a stretch. To Satoshi it seemed more like rehearsing for a staged fight scene rather than practice at actual fighting.

"Just act casual, my boy," said Caster. "Act casual and nothing can go wrong. All the world's a stage."

* * *

><p>Satoshi and Satoko arrived next with Keiichi entering a few minutes later. Chie-sensei hadn't arrived yet so the kids went around and mingled.<p>

"So, how do you like the school so far, Jackie-chan?" Shinichi asked Jackie who gazed up at her. Her eyes didn't blink and he felt chills running up his spine. The girl was very quiet but that was because she was in a new environment and would cling only to those she was familiar with, like Mion and Shion. Now, Mion's grandmother normally didn't tolerate outsiders but that was an act she put up. She was the Head of the Sonozaki Clan so she needed to show she was strong despite her age and was often hard on people. She was also a traditionalist and preferred that everyone followed the traditional ways. She would tolerate outsiders who became part of the village but only if they followed the rules.

His mother and the old woman didn't like each other for their own reasons. Oryo at least liked Shinichi's hard working attitude. He would often volunteer to help out around the village whenever he had free time. Shinichi even helped his mother with writing his books. It was those books which caused Oryo to dislike Shiori. They were erotic books which a lot of people would consider improper and the fact that a woman wrote them was a source of more impropriety. Of course a traditional woman like Oryo would dislike a modern woman like Shiori. Not that it stopped Akane from being secret fan and friend to Shiori.

Now, Jackie was a young girl, between the ages of 12-13, quiet and cute as well. The younger boys in the classroom definitely noticed. She also seemed foreign but she never revealed much about herself. She reminded Shinichi of his early days in Hinamizawa where he was just as quiet and shy, unsure about the people around him. He couldn't help but want to reach out to her.

"Jackie-chan, listen. Since you're a member of the club that means you're one of my friends. I promise that I will protect you." That was Shinichi's vow and he always took his vows seriously.

"Protect me...?" she asked. Such a vow sounded sincere but she was Assassin. She didn't need protecting. However, before Berserker was dealt with, maybe she could use this to her advantage.

"Yeah, and if you need anything, let me know, OK?" Shinichi smiled.

* * *

><p>Gebok was in his lair and keeping his eye on Shinichi. One of his many spybots was inside the classroom, observing him and broadcasting what it saw and heard to Gebok's computer so he could watch. Gebok was obsessed with Shinichi, who he claimed was his best creation. He was so obsessed that not even death could stop him. He always came back, even when they thought he was dead, he always came back.<p>

Standing dutifully at his side was Berserker who was patiently awaiting for his command so she could please him. In spite of being labeled as the 'Mad Servant', Berserker didn't exhibit any kind violent and psychopathic behaviour outside of battle. In battle, of course, she really lived up to her class' designation and would destroy anyone and everyone if her Master commanded her.

If Shinichi was Gebok's obsession though, Berserker was his curiosity. He'd periodically study the woman to see what made her tick and would always be stumped on her construction. She had all the pieces of a human body, but it seemed like her organs, muscles, and bones were unable to hold together without the augmentation of her machine parts. The electric-like energy that powered her seemed to be able to keep her going in all her bodily functions and even seemed to stimulate her functions down to the cellular level, ensuring her healing processes were rapid and complete. The metal pieces were absolutely archaic despite how well they worked though, like something out of a bad science fiction movie. All of the pieces were simple metals, most of which being that which could help conduct and transfer electricity with the least amount of resistance. The rest was cold hard steel. Gebok's insane scientific mind told him that such a configuration was nigh impossible to work with such a crude configuration, but Berserker's body seemed to beat the odds and work just the same.

Most curious of all though was that Berserker's heart was missing. Gebok wasn't sure where it went, but the gap that was in its place which stored the energy she needed until it was passed to the rest of her body was just a reservoir. Something else pumped the power inside her body to course through her and anything extra just ended up in her chest cavity where the heart should have been.

How very odd, but Berserker made for such a lovely pastime between Gebok's plots in teaching his 'son' the error of his ways.

* * *

><p>It was time for final period, and today they had PE class. Chie-sensei allowed them to do whatever they wanted during PE as long as they had fun and exercised.<p>

"OK, Hinamizawa Gaming Club, assemble!" Mion commanded. With that declaration, all the members came together, posing dramatically. Mion added, "That means you too, Jackie." Jackie went and joined them. She had on a white t-shirt and a pair of black bloomers. She just looked so adorable that Rena almost kidnapped her earlier.

"OK, gang! Today's Gaming Club Activity is 'Water Pistol Battle Royale'!" They each grabbed their gear, a water pistol each, filled with a limited amount of H2O ammunition. Buckets of water were placed in strategic spots on their field in order for them to reload. "Now, you all know the rules, right?" Jackie raised her hand. "Yes, Jackie-chan?"

"How do we play this game, Onee-chan?" she asked.

"It's easy," said Mion and she posed. "Just aim and shoot." She pulled her gun's trigger and let loose some water from the barrel. "See?"

"Oh," Jackie nodded and aimed at Mion, before pulling the trigger. Mion's face got wet. "Does this mean I win?"

"I didn't stay start," Mion mumbled.

"Technically, that's a preemptive strike," Shinichi stated.

"Fine! Go!" Mion aimed and shot at Shinichi who performed a dodge-roll.

"Let the games begin! Every man, woman and child for themselves!" shouted Shinichi and they all started chasing each other and shooting their water pistols. Jackie shrugged and joined in the fun. In her time, she had never had a chance to play like this. Even if her time in this world would be short because of the Holy Grail War, she was determined to live every day with no regrets and enjoy her time here with her new family and friends.

* * *

><p>The game was an intense one. Some buckets contained extra guns too so players could dual-wield. Satoko even managed to hide herself and fill up balloons with water to make her own 'water grenades'. Hanyuu, of course, cried each time she was almost shot with water. The twins were brutal and Rena was simply laughing. Keiichi had a perverted grin as he couldn't wait to get the girls wet. Wet, white t-shirts were quite revealing when they got wet. Shinichi didn't want to embarrass the girls like that so he made sure to just target their faces. As a soldier himself he was trained to be able to dodge gunfire and these water pistols didn't have quite the range of actual guns. Satoshi had been taken out of the game early along with Rika. As for Jackie, she was actually wearing a small yet noticeable smile as she played.<p>

Of course Jackie was using this as an opportunity to learn more about the other Masters in the Holy Grail War. However, she couldn't help but admit that she was having fun. It was just too bad she would have to kill them one day.

* * *

><p>From afar, in astral form, the Servants watched their Masters as they played. Even if their Masters were competitors in the Holy Grail, they were still just children and children needed to play. This was a time for them to cherish, being with their friends and playing silly games.<p>

* * *

><p>It was evening when the game ended and Jackie was declared the winner. She was the only one who didn't get wet during the whole time. As winner, she was given the right to declare what Penalty to give to the losers. However, she only said that she needed time to think of a proper penalty.<p>

The group walked home together, with Jackie holding Mion's hand. The older, green-haired girl just smiled at the innocent request. Jackie was already part of their family since their mother had taken the abandoned child in. Akane was just kind like that.

But then Shinichi suddenly went tense and he spoke, "Everyone...we're in trouble."

Suddenly, several android troopers leapt out of nowhere and blocked their path, from the front and back. They were wielding daggers. If that wasn't enough, the android troopers were also accompanied by a robotic Beastman who resembled a jaguar with sharp metal claws.

"Gebok again?" Mion deadpanned.

"Gebok again," Shinichi confirmed. He counted a dozen troopers, six in their front and six behind them. Counting the Beastman would make it a baker's dozen. "Everyone, run when I give the signal."

"What's the signal?" asked Rika and Shinichi let out a shout as he charged at the android troopers in front of them, tackling them like a football player and knocking them down. "Oh, _that _signal."

"Come on, Jackie!" Mion tugged on her little sister's hand as Shinichi gave a trooper an uppercut, knocked another one down with a downward punch, and grabbed one by the ankles to spin it around and toss it at the other troopers to knock them to the ground.

"You're not going anyway!" declared the Jaguar Beastman but Shinichi knocked him down and sent him tumbling with a dropkick.

"RUN!" Shinichi shouted as he backhanded one of the android troopers. He took out his Scada Buckle and was about to put it on when it was knocked out of his hands by the Jaguar Beastman. He then slashed him across the chest, leaving bloody gashes in his chest. Those claws were definitely dangerous! "Crap!" he cursed.

"BLACK 13, this is where you die!" the Jaguar Beastman roared as he went for the killing blow. Shinichi grabbed hold of Jaguar Beastman's wrist and performed a Judo flip to send him onto his back. Jaguar Beastman recovered quickly as the android troopers surrounded Shinichi.

"You wanna fight?" questioned Shinichi as he took out his Scada Buckle and put it on, allowing the belt to wrap around his waist. "Alright! But you're going to regret it!" He gripped the ripcord while ducking under an android's soldier's swing and shouted, "Henshin!" He tugged on the ripcord and the fan spun, blowing the android soldiers off their feet as his armor formed. Clenching his fists, he engaged the soldiers as the Jaguar Beastman hung back and watched.

Scada's friends stood a distance away from the fight, watching. Jackie's eyes were narrowed in concentration as she observed the Master fighting against the automatons. He disarmed an automaton and then kicked up the falling dagger so that it would get stuck in its neck. Scada then used a crossed forearm block to keep himself from being stabbed in the face before driving the android back with his foot. He backhanded one coming at him from behind before jumping up and performing a backflip to dodge an attack from behind. Rushing forward, he executed a devastating knee strike into one in the gut that sent it flying.

The other android troopers began to come towards Scada's friends while he was preoccupied. However, it wouldn't be long before they were turned into scrap as well. A thick fog began rolling in, confusing the group as their vision was obscured. The Jaguar Beastman was wondering what was going on.

"What's with this fog?" he questioned.

The android troopers not fighting Scada were suddenly torn to pieces and said pieces littered the ground. It only happened in an instant. The Jaguar Beastman may not have seen what had done it, but he heard the destruction of his foot soldiers.

"BLACK 13, is this one of your tricks!?" demanded the Jaguar Beastman only to howl in pain as he felt something slice along his side. "ARGH! Fuck!"

The Gaming Club was confused and the fog prevented them from seeing each other clearly. They could see each other's silhouettes and hear each other and hear what else was happening.

Meanwhile, Scada had finished off the troopers preventing him from helping his friends. He, of course, didn't have a good feeling about this fog at the moment. What was it? It didn't feel natural. He could tell.

The Jaguar Beastman swiped around as he felt himself being sliced by a sharp knife. He missed his assailant. "Where are you!?" he roared but then he was silence as his throat was slit. Vital wires were in his throat and he stumbled. Then, a knife cut all the way down his chest, exposing and severing even more vital wires and circuitry. He collapsed on his back. Shortly afterwards, the fog subsided.

Scada ran to his friends and removed his buckle as he asked, "Are you guys OK?"

"We're fine," said Mion. "Thanks to you."

"Yeah, you really took care of that thing," said Keiichi, pointing at the Jaguar Beastman's body.

"I didn't do that," Shinichi confessed.

"Come on, Shin-chan," Mion punched his arm. "Stop fooling around."

"No, I'm serious. I didn't do any of this," Shinichi insisted. "I was busy dealing with some of those android troopers." Now the club members' eyes widened when they realized Shinichi was telling the truth.

Jackie stood next to Mion and she expressed a small smile.

* * *

><p>Mion called, "We're back!"<p>

Akane smiled as she heard the announcement and then Jackie found her in the living room.

"How was your day, Jackie-chan?" she asked.

"I had fun," said Jackie.

* * *

><p>Gebok knew that Shinichi hadn't been the one to kill the Jaguar Beastman. That could only mean one thing: a Servant had done it. But which one? Which Servant possessed such an ability. He turned to Berserker who smiled, awaiting commands.<p>

His plan had been to use the Jaguar Beastman as a means of drawing in Black 13's Servant so he could learn more about the woman's capabilities as well as any other Servants drawn in by the action. It seemed that he had drawn in another Servant, but wasn't the one that he had been hoping to see. Even worse, he hadn't gotten a glimpse through the Beastman's ocular cameras as to what had struck him down.

Ah well, there were his other projects to help soothe his disappointment.

Those Darkloids and Darklings were still out there. He then commanded, "Berserker, my dear, please retrieve one of those Darkling things for me." Berserker nodded. She didn't answer verbally, but she understood.

* * *

><p>"Judging by how swiftly that beast was slain and how it was done without any of us seeing or sensing the perpetrator, I think it was Assassin," said Caster.<p>

"Really?" asked Satoshi.

"The Assassin Class is not adept in close combat. Their specialty lies in killing their victims without notice," said Caster.

"So, Assassin was in the fog, with us?" Satoshi paled. Assassin had been closed and they hadn't even seen him.

"Indeed, and an Assassin can use Presence Concealment to hide his presence from my senses and identity," said Caster. "Although..."

"Although...?" Satoko prompted.

"Assassins are patient and may have been observing all the Masters for the right time to strike. It is strategically sound," said Caster.

"You seem to know strategy," Satoshi nodded.

"Well, while you all sleep, I go out at night in astral form, enter a library, and start reading. The reading material of your era is quite fascinating," admitted Caster. Satoshi rolled his eyes. Great, his Servant loved to break into libraries.

"So, what is an Assassin good for in this War?" asked Satoko.

"They mostly target the Masters since they are vital pieces and the ones sustaining the Servants' existence here," said Caster.

"Makes sense. If you want to take down the rider, take down the horse," said Satoshi.

"That is poetic," smiled Caster. "You're learning."

* * *

><p>While Shinichi was off at school, Rider had decided to go off and tend to her own devices. Since her Master was one of the fair few who could take care of himself without her around. In fact she kept Shiori company at home and the two women bonded. When Shinichi returned, Rider showed her affection for her Master in the way she knew how.<p>

She grabbed him and hugged him to her chest. Right now, she was dressed in a black tank top with cut off jeans.

"Welcome home, Master~!" purred Rider. Shiori watched on in amusement.

Rena, who'd come over since her father was out of town on business, glared daggers at the redhead molesting her Shin-kun. As if responding to her emotions, Saber materialized.

"Ms. Rider, I suggest you release my Master's beloved," said Saber.

"Why should I?" Rider smirked.

"It is shameful behavior. You act like some common tramp," said Saber. He would've been respectful but Rider was a potential enemy.

"Oh, there's nothing common about me," grinned Rider. "Isn't that right, my Master?"

"Please, let me go before Rena-chan kills us," begged Shinichi. Rider pouted but let him go.

"Well, I could always cuddle with you later when you sleep," said Rider. "Oh, and just so you know, I prefer sleeping, in the nude."

Rena was about ready to go ballistic at Rider's shameless flirting.

"Oh, this is like a soap opera," Shiori giggled as she took notes.

"Rider-san," said Rena as politely as she could, even if her expression was looking strained. "Please, behave yourself and put something on."

"What? I'm dressed," said Rider.

"I mean put on something under your top," Rena glared. Rider wasn't wearing a bra. In fact, Rena had doubts that Rider was wearing any underwear at all.

"I think I prefer to dress this way. It's more comfortable," said Rider. Rena was almost tempted to use her Command Seals now to command Saber to kill Rider on the spot.

"Where are Rika-chan and Hanyuu-chan?" asked Shiori.

"They went to the shrine," said Shinichi. The Furude Shrine was their family shrine and needed to be maintained so that it wouldn't fall into disrepair.

Rena was still glaring daggers at Rider. The woman was just so infuriating when she teased her Shin-kun. Also, Rena was also envious of the woman's proportions. She was tall, leggy, with a large bust and curves in all the right places. She also had long blood red hair that was beautiful and silky smooth. The scar didn't even mar her beauty either.

Rena was confident Shinichi wouldn't go to such a woman (slut/tramp/whore), but Rena was a bit insecure since Rider was just so beautiful and exuding sex appeal. Also, Shinichi was still a boy with hormones and even he couldn't ignore the fact that Rider was a beautiful woman.

Shinichi, of course, was observant and said, "Rena-chan, let's go up to my room." He took her hand and led her up the stairs with Rider and Saber watching.

"So, Saber, how was your day?" Rider asked the knight, grinning.

* * *

><p>"Rena-chan, what's wrong?" Shinichi asked after closing his door.<p>

"Nothing," she lied.

"I don't think it's nothing. You look ready to claw Rider's eyes out, and as much as I would love to see a cat fight I don't want to see you get hurt," said Shinichi. "What's wrong?" He knew the reason but he wanted to hear it from her.

"Rider's very attractive," said Rena. Shinichi nodded. So that was why.

Shinichi closed the short gap between them and kissed Rena on the lips. Rena kissed back and put her arms around him. Breaking the kiss, Shinichi rested his forehead against hers.

"You're my girl," he told her. "And don't worry about Rider. Even if I like what I see, she's not my girlfriend. You are."

"She lives with you," Rena pointed out.

"Yeah..." Shinichi frowned. "Say, how long is your dad going to be out of town?"

"A couple of weeks," said Rena.

"Why not stay with us? It'll be like old times," he invited.

Rena's face was surprised at first, but then she broke into a smile, "Okay, Shin-kun!"

* * *

><p>Outside the door, Shiori and Rider had glasses pressed against it and using the glasses as sound amplifiers to hear what was going on inside Shinichi's door.<p>

"I'm glad Shinji was able to calm her down," said Shiori as she took off the glass. "Although, Rider, I don't think it was smart of you to antagonize Rena-chan."

"It was too easy," Rider shrugged. "But even if the girl's supposed to be my enemy, I'm happy that my Master has someone who loves him so much."

"Of course," said Shiori. "They're connected by the red thread of fate."

Rider smiled. Her Master was happy. Shinichi had learnt a bit about her Master's past from Shiori. How he had been kidnapped, used and manipulated. How an organization had tortured and twisted him. How he'd been turned into a weapon against his will. Rider could tell that he was strong if he could still live on past that trauma.

"Maybe you should apologize," Shiori suggested. "I mean, if there wasn't this Holy Grail War going on, you could be friends."

"If there was no Holy Grail War, I wouldn't have met my Master," corrected Rider. "But, in a way, you're right. I just like teasing her."

* * *

><p>Shinichi just glared at the door, thinking, "Don't they know I can hear them?' He had cybernetically enhanced senses and thus he could hear them behind his door. His mother and his Servant weren't exactly subtle.<p>

Of course, his mind went elsewhere as Rena hugged him then gave him a kiss. She was showing him how much she loved him as she slowly pushed him down onto the bed.

* * *

><p>Rena had sent Saber to get her things. Since she'd be staying over, there would be a lot of luggage that needed to be packed.<p>

She actually had a bag packed for overnight stays with Shinichi but since this might turn out into a long term arrangement as the Holy Grail War was taking place, she was going to need to go back and pack a suitcase of all her clothes and essentials.

In the meantime, Rena was taking a bath when the door to the bathroom slid open. She shrieked as she covered her breast, splashing water in the tub she was sitting in. Rena looked and gawked at the intruder. It was Rider, in all her naked glory, giving Rena a good look at her body.

Rena cursed in her mind, '_Damn, she has a nice body._'

"Mind if I join you?" Rider asked. She didn't wait for an answer as she took the shower head and started taking a shower. Rena just glared. Did this woman enjoy provoking her? Did she find some kind of sick pleasure in riling the girl up? First Rider purposely tried to seduce Shinichi and now she was invading Rena's personal space.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you," said Rider as she began to lather her up with the soap. "It's about Shinichi."

"He's mine!" Rena snapped.

"I know, I know," said Rider. She sighed, "Honestly, he's a great Master. He provides me with Mana but he's got this hero complex of his. Could get him killed."

"He's fought worse," defended Rena.

"I know, I heard," said Rider. "Shiori didn't leave out any details. Your boyfriend's a true blue hero. Even after all the crap he went through, he didn't become some kind of psycho."

"That's because he's strong," added Rena. "But he always forgets."

"Forgets what?" Rider asked.

"That he's never alone," Rena finished. "He forgets there are people who can help him but sometimes he just fights on his own, shouldering the burden by himself, when he doesn't have to."

"And it worries the hell out of you, huh?" Rider asked. Rena nodded. "Hey, could you scrub my back for me? I can't reach." Rena blinked then shrugged. She got out of the tub and grabbed another stool before getting behind Rider to scrub her back with a soapy sponge. As Rena was scrubbing, Rider spoke, "You know, you're the reason he became a hero in the first place." Rena paused.

"Really?" Rena asked.

"Don't you know?" Rider asked. "He may have had the power in him all along, but you were the one who found him and gave him something to fight for; you, your friends and this village."

"That's because he's Shin-kun," said Rena. "Because that's the way he is."

"Yeah, and his track record is impressive. He could make it to the Throne of Heroes one day with all he's accomplished. Hell, I see a bright future for him," said Rider. "And also a very short life."

"No!" Rena denied.

"Rena," said Rider seriously as she turned to face her. "Heroic Spirits like us were trouble magnets in our past lives. We always found ourselves in danger. It either found us or we went looking for it. With danger there's a possibility of death. Death comes for everyone, and sooner for someone who gets involved in dangerous stuff."

Rena wanted to retort but shut her mouth. She agreed with Rider. How many times had Shinichi almost gotten himself killed fighting against his enemies? One day someone could get lucky and take him away from her, for good.

"Hey, if you want him to live and grow old with you, the best thing you can do is convince him to stop being a hero," Rider stated. "Of course, that's not gonna happen because..."

"...He's a Kamen Rider," said Rena. That title meant so much to Shinichi. He was a masked hero who protected the innocent from evil and fought for justice. It was the core of his being, his entire purpose. As much as she wanted him to be with her, she couldn't take away the thing that made him who he was.

"But then again, like you said, he's strong so there's no chance of that happening too soon, plus he's got allies even if he forgets that sometimes," Rider added. She smiled at Rena, "So...have you and he..." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "You know..._slept_ with each other?" Rena blushed at what Rider was implying.

"It's normal for couples to do that! Especially if they're in love!" Rena answered, blushing furiously. Rider laughed. "It's not funny!"

"Oh no! It's just that, I bet Shiori gets a hell of a lot of inspiration from you guys!" Rider answered. "I read her books. I can think up a couple inspired by you too rolling in the hay."

"Well, that's private! And it's the reason why Shin-kun and I do it elsewhere," Rena defended.

"Doesn't stop her imagination and she's got a really vivid one from what I've read," Rider replied. "You know, I would like to be in one of her books, even if she changed the name."

"Not with my Shin-kun!" huffed Rena.

"Hey, I'm a lot of things, but I don't take a man who's taken," Rider smiled. "But~, do you think he'd be interested in a threesome?" Rena blushed hard at the implication as Rider turned and smiled at her. "You know, back in my day, it wasn't just guys who I used to scratch my itch. I bedded girls too..." She caressed Rena's cheek. "And you are cute." Rena slipped backwards on her stool and fell on the wet floor. Rider also slipped and ended up on top of her, face-to-face and breast-to-breast. Rena let out a shriek.

Shinichi, unable to ignore her scream, threw the bathroom door open and exclaimed, "Rena-chan, I heard a scream!" He saw Rider and Rena in a compromising and provocative position before he collapsed with his nose gushing blood.

"Well, that confirms he's straight!" Rider grinned.

"Shin-kun!" Rena cried out.

"I heard a noise," said Shiori and then she saw the scene. "Keep that pose! Do not move! I need to get my sketchbook!" She then ran off, leaving her unconscious son, an embarrassed houseguests, and a grinning Servant.

"And the fun times keep coming!" laughed Rider.

"Please, get off me!" Rena begged.

* * *

><p>Berserker had done well as she brought the specimen that Gebok wanted. The Darkling was no match for Berserker and she effortlessly caught it after wiping out the entire nest of these things. She slammed it down on the table and metal straps wrapped around the Darkling, keeping it in place as it struggled.<p>

"Well done, Berserker," said Gebok and Berserker smiled at the praise. "Now, let the experiment begin."

* * *

><p><strong>KAMEN RIDER CHROME: Looks like Gebok is up to his tricks again. Oh boy, what could this mean for the others? Also, we get to see some fun from the cast as well as some plans and strategies. It was mostly slice of life with a battle, and also some fan service. What? Rider's hot. BTW, lots of thanks to Ten-Faced Paladin for his help on this chapter.<strong>


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